"About 120 youths from the Holy Land will travel to
World Youth Day (WYD) to have an experience of faith and feel the Church's Catholicity,"
said Mgr William Shomali. Speaking to AsiaNews, the auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem said he would accompany these young men and women to the event, set to take place on 22-29 July in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Mostly in their twenties, these young Palestinian and Israeli Christians are from Jerusalem, the Galilee, Ramallah and other West Bank villages, university students as well as workers.
"Some of them," the bishop noted, "have already been in Madrid (the last WYD) and were impressed. This is why they are participating. Along with about 350 young people from Lebanon, the small delegation from the Holy Land will represent Arabic-speaking Christians."
"What drives young people, many from poor families, to spend US$ 2,000?" Bishop Shomali asked. The answer is that for them, the WYD is more than a trip or a vacation, "it is an experience that will help them deepen their faith and renew life in our local Church."
In the Holy Land, where Jesus of Nazareth was born and lived, Christians are only 2 per cent of the population, and face many economic, social and cultural difficulties due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which mostly involves Muslims and Jews.
"These young people will visit Brazil, a Christian country," the prelate said. "For a week, they will be together with at least 3 million people of their age who believe in God, in Jesus, who follow the Pope. The WYD will be a great moment of immersion in faith. They will directly experience the Church's 'catholicity'."
"In past years, all the people who came from World Youth Days were changed. Some recovered their loyalty to the Church and rediscovered daily prayer; others got involved again in Catholic charities and parishes activities. Some embarked on the path towards priesthood."
For the bishop, leaders have a responsibility to prepare young people for these events, which by their size are an almost miraculous moment in the history of the Church.
"So far, we have organised six days of retreat focusing on the WYD theme, 'Go and make disciples of all nations'.
"The longer and deeper the preparation, the greater the benefit our young people get out of these experiences of faith, which will help them be true Christians once they are back in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Haifa, or Nazareth," Mgr Shomali said.