According to the Brazilian media, the climate of
uncertainty in Rio de Janeiro and travel costs are the factors leading
German bishops to discourage young faithful from taking part in the
World Youth Day (WYD) celebrations scheduled to take place between 23
and 29 July 2013.
Markus Hartmann, the German Episcopal Conference’s religious education coordinator, says the decision is based on the fact that “at the end of the day, clerics present at the event will be responsible for ensuring nothing happens to the minors.”
The coordinator also informed that there will only be about 2,500 German youngsters attending the WYD celebrations in Rio, compared to the 16,500 that attended the Madrid event in 2011 and the 6,000 young people that travelled all the way to Sydney in 2008.