About World Youth Day
The links below contain the main basic info about WYD, with sections for UK Media, and for young pilgrims. World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in Sydney 15-20 July 2008 (WYD08) when up to 500,000 young people will meet with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Around 2,000 young pilgrims and up to 20 Bishops will travel from England and Wales to Australia this summer for a mixture of a pilgrimage, a cultural youth festival and a prayer rally. ‘World Youth Day’ is actually a week of events, culminating in a Final Mass celebrated by the Holy Father. The WYD08 theme is: 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses' The Bible, Acts 1:8.
“The Holy Spirit will help us in Australia to rediscover our faith if it is lost, strengthen it if it has become weak, and help us to savour it as fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, who will be at World Youth Day.
- Info for young pilgrims travelling to WYD08 from England & Wales
- Info for UK Media
- Official WYD Site
- Fact sheet about World Youth Day
- Watch main WYD events live online on EWTN Global Catholic Network
- Read Pope Benedict's messages from World Youth Day Week 08
- WYD Information sheet from the Vatican
- FAQs from Official WYD Site
- Watch ‘Get with the spirit’ short promotional video about WYD
- Watch thirty minute TV programme about WYD08 by Salt and Light TV (Catholic TV Channel)
- WYD theme & spirituality
- Read Pope Benedict XVI’s message to the young people of the world for WYD08
- Read about the history of World Youth Day
- Read about the issue of social justice and Catholic Social Doctrine in relation to WYD08
- Click here to read about the WYD08 Environmental Sustainability Strategy
WYD PROGRAMME:
Phase One: 10 – 14 July 2008: ‘Days in the Dioceses’. The dioceses of Australia and New Zealand welcomes the youth of the world with a cultural exchange in the context of faith.
Phase Two: 15 – 20 July 2008: ‘World Youth Day week’:
- Tuesday 15 July - Opening Mass of welcome celebrated by Cardinal George Pell and Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko of the Vatican, followed by a concert of welcome
- Wednesday 16 July - Friday 18 July - Catechesis (teaching) sessions every morning and Youth Festival events in afternoon/evening
- Thursday 17 July - Arrival and welcome of Pope Benedict XVI
- Friday 18 July - Stations of the Cross – a travelling dramatised re-enactment of Our Lord’s Passion and Death
- Saturday 19 July - Pilgrimage walk to Randwick Racecourse, evening Vigil with Pope Benedict XVI and a sleep-out ‘under the stars’
- Sunday 20 July - Final Mass with the Pope Benedict XVI at Randwick Racecourse and concluding events
Disclaimer:
Whilst we've taken the utmost care in sourcing the links on these pages, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales cannot be held responsible for the content on external sites. Inclusion of links on this site does not imply approval of content by the Bishops’ Conference. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that all the sites listed on this website are faithful to Catholic teaching, we distance ourselves from any that are not. Most images © WYD08, WYD Logo © Copyright and ™ WYD 2008 courtesy of WYD2008