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| NEWS 11/2005
The President to the readers
Dear readers, This time I would like to use the space given to me to address the readers of our News to speak about the twentieth World Youth Day. WYDs are exceptionally important ecclesial events, and the Pontifical Council for the Laity is directly involved in their preparation. They are the face of a Church that does not grow old  because Christ is ever young and his Gospel is ever new Â, and of a Church full of courage and missionary energy. This all came to the fore in Cologne. On the one hand, this WYD was modulated after the passing away of Pope John Paul II, the Pope who had given the Church this powerful instrument of dialogue with youth and the evangelisation of the world of youth, and on the other hand, they welcomed Benedict XVI, the new Successor of Peter, to be among them and confirm them in their faith. He won them over with his smile filled with love, with his arms extended wide, with his clear incisive words that penetrated their souls. A new Pope, but he had the same fatherly heart opened wide to the youth of the whole world! The WYD youth continue to surprise us both by their numbers and the high quality of their participation. Over one million young people came to Cologne from 197 countries and the five continents. They were accompanied by 757 bishops and 9,000 priests. 300 bishop catechists held catecheses in 30 languages in 250 locations. The organisation was helped along by 27,000 volunteers. The media showed great interest: 6,600 members of the press and media were accredited, representing about 4,000 news agencies around the world. I think we can easily imagine the huge logistic challenge faced by the German organising Committee. I would like to convey to them once again our heartfelt gratitude, and also to the entire Church in Germany, for their wonderful work and collaboration. The twentieth WYD, centred on the theme, ÂWe have come to worship him (Mt 2:2) had a genuinely Eucharistic character. It formed a natural part of the Year of the Eucharist and was one of its high moments. During the Prayer Vigil at Marienfeld on Saturday 20 August 2005, the crowd of young people kneeling in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament gave such a strong witness of faith that it represents a courageous challenge to postmodern culture  the culture of indifference that is pervaded by a Âstrange forgetfulness of God (Benedict XVI). It is a challenge to be able to go against the tide and to declare that Christ, the Gospel, the Church and the Pope are really important for them. Although they may be a minority on a worldwide scale, these young people are a special minority to be counted among those described by A. Toynbee as a Âcreative minorityÂ, that is, the minorities capable of changing the course of history. It is not by chance that Benedict XVI spoke about ÂGodÂs revolution in which they should play an important part. In order to vitalize the Âtired Christianity that is spreading more and more among the baptized, the Church needs the energizing drive of their youthful faith, filled with vivacity, enthusiasm and joy. Behind the scenes of WYD, there is the ongoing tireless pastoral work of the Church with the younger generations. Each encounter between the youth and the Pope is stimulating for pastors, reminding them to be always vigilant to the real questions being asked by the youth. When Benedict XVI met with the German bishops in Cologne, he spoke of the challenge they issue to us:  that the young people with their questions, faith and joy in faith will continue to challenge us to get the better of our faint-heartedness and weariness (Address, 21 August 2005). Each WYD represents a new point of departure for youth ministry, and in that sense the PopeÂs discourses in Cologne are a wealth of teachings to which we should return often. Using clear language, the Holy Father provided important elements for a precise pastoral programme that starts out from the paradigmatic spiritual adventure of the Magi Kings and that revolves around three key words: search, meet and worship Christ, the one who alone gives full and definitive meaning to the existence of humankind. WYD in Cologne demonstrated once again that more and more young people seriously face the question of God and seek Him with passionate determination. It is under this great sign of hope that the Pontifical Council for the Laity has launched preparations for the next WYD that will take place in Sydney in 2008, as announced by Benedict XVI at the end of the event in Cologne. The exciting spiritual adventure, begun twenty years ago, continuesÂ
The twentieth World Youth DayÂMy dear young people, you too offer to the Lord the gold of your lives, namely, your freedom to follow Him out of love, responding faithfully to His call; let the incense of your fervent prayer rise up to Him, in praise of His glory; offer Him your myrrh, that is your affection of total gratitude to Him, true Man, who loved us to the point of dying as a criminal on GolgothaÂ. John Paul II was certainly felt to be present at World Youth Day in Cologne through the words of his Message and in the memories of all present, young people and Benedict XVI alike. The twentieth World Youth Day bore the mark of two Popes, that of John Paul II who Âguides and accompanies us from Heaven and that of Benedict XVI who held his first major meeting with young people, a providential gift at the start of his papacy. We could say that it was providential twice over. The PopeÂs first journey abroad brought him to meet with young people, the hope of the Church, at a great event instituted by his predecessor. Secondly, this meeting took place in Benedict XVIÂs own country, Germany in the heart of Europe, and he was received there with obvious emotion and pride. The star of the Magi does not follow random paths. It chooses heavenly paths to guide multitudes of people to Jesus throughout the ages: ÂThe Magi set out because of a deep desire which prompted them to leave everything and begin a journey. It was as though they had always been waiting for that star. It was as if the journey had always been a part of their destiny, and was finally about to begin. Dear friends, this is the mystery of God's call, the mystery of vocation. It is part of the life of every Christian, but it is particularly evident in those whom Christ asks to leave everything in order to follow him more closelyÂ. This is a significant quotation from Benedict XVIÂs address to thousands of seminarians who were in Cologne for WYD. It focuses on a very important dimension of World Youth Day, the fact that huge numbers of young people over the past twenty years have found their path to God while at these meetings. ÂYou are encountering each other this week not as strangers, but as relatives and companions. We are Ârelatives because we were all created by the same God, and Âcompanions because we have joined each other in our search for a fulfilled and worthwhile life, for a life with GodÂ. Cardinal Meisner addressed these words to all during the opening Mass held in Cologne. There were opening Masses being held at the same time in Dusseldorf with Cardinal Lehmann and in Bonn with Bishop Bode. World Youth Day was thus launched, and busy days had begun centred on the theme ÂWe have come to worship him (Mt 2:2). This theme was chosen to lead young people to the heart of the Christian faith and to enter more deeply into the Mystery of the Eucharist and of adoration. 300 bishops among the 750 who had come from all over the world, prepared the encounter with the Pope through three days catechesis in 30 different languages. The young people actively participated and were attentive during the catecheses, dialoguing with the bishops. Together they followed the parable of the star until they came face to face with Jesus and began to understand the meaning of worship. It was reminiscent of Jesus speaking to the multitudes on the banks of Lake Tiberius from a boat when we saw Benedict XVI holding his first meeting with the young people inviting them to Âhave a moving experience of prayer as dialogue with GodÂ. This gospel scene came to mind as we saw the banks of the Rhine filled with jubilant young people, many of them in the river as if they wished to reach the Holy Father. Benedict XVI spoke from a large river boat, accompanied by five other boats symbolising the continents. He reminded all of the person who initiated World Youth Day. ÂOpen wide your hearts to God! Let yourselves be surprised by Christ! Let him have Âthe right of free speech during these days!Â, the Pope said, reminding us of the spiritual heritage of John Paul II, his venerable predecessor. ÂThat great Pope understood the challenges faced by young people today  Now all of us together have to put his teaching into practiceÂ. Benedict XVI counselled the young people to take the example of the Magi Kings and follow Âthe star which shines in your conscience rather than the pathÂprompted by the passionsÂ. When Benedict XVI left the boat and his first encounter with the youth, he went to Cologne cathedral where the relics of the Magi Kings have been venerated for centuries. He explained the reason for this visit by emphasising: ÂThe relics of the saints are traces of that invisible but real presence which sheds light upon the shadows of the world and reveals the Kingdom of Heaven in our midstÂ. During the course of the Vigil in Marienfeld, the Pope developed this idea and spoke of the saints as witnesses and Âbuilders of the Gospel: ÂThe Magi from the East are just the first in a long procession of men and women who have constantly tried to gaze upon God's star in their lives, going in search of the God who has drawn close to us and shows us the way. [...] The saints, as we said, are the true reformers. Now I want to express this in an even more radical way: only from the saints, only from God does true revolution come, the definitive way to change the world. [...] True revolution consists in simply turning to God who is the measure of what is right and who at the same time is everlasting love. And what could ever save us apart from love?Â. Saints, therefore, lead us to Christ because ÂAnyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him. A great joy cannot be kept to oneself. It has to be passed onÂ. In the year of the Eucharist, the adoration of the Magi before Jesus incarnate in a simple baby becomes adoration of the host in which Christ transfuses his sacrifice for humanity. So, on the night of the Vigil, the Âadoration tent became the pulsating heart of the multitude at Marienfeld  they say 800 thousand young people  with Eucharistic adoration. Benedict XVI said that this love, an instrument of salvation, was shown by Christ to his disciples before he ascended the Cross, through the Eucharistic sacrifice: ÂBy making the bread into his Body and the wine into his Blood, he anticipates his death, he accepts it in his heart, and he transforms it into an action of love. What on the outside is simply brutal violence  the Crucifixion  from within becomes an act of total self-giving loveÂ. Using a modern and effective image, the Holy Father compared this transformation to nuclear fission: ÂTo use an image well known to us today, this is like inducing nuclear fission in the very heart of being - the victory of love over hatred, the victory of love over death. Only this intimate explosion of good conquering evil can then trigger off the series of transformations that little by little will change the world. All other changes remain superficial and cannot save. For this reason we speak of redemption: what had to happen at the most intimate level has indeed happened, and we can enter into its dynamic. Jesus can distribute his Body, because he truly gives himself Â. This same Ânuclear fission generates, as in physics, a series of chain reactions that not only change our lives, but the circumstances around us: ÂAdoration, as we said earlier, becomes union. God no longer simply stands before us as the One who is totally Other. He is within us, and we are in him. His dynamic enters into us and then seeks to spread outwards to others until it fills the world, so that his love can truly become the dominant measure of the worldÂ. How much we feel the need for this transformation! The Holy Father himself, using effective words, interpreted the desire for a fulfilled life within the heart of each person and the feelings brought about by neglect of God: ÂIn vast areas of the world today there is a strange forgetfulness of God. It seems as if everything would be just the same even without him. But at the same time there is a feeling of frustration, a sense of dissatisfaction with everyone and everything. People tend to exclaim: ÂThis cannot be what life is about!Â. Indeed notÂ. It is to live as true worshippers, to deepen our prayer each day and our relationship with Jesus, also through Scripture reading and the Catechism, Âa wonderful work in which the faith of centuries is explained syntheticallyÂ, to communicate to others the joy of our faith. This invitation was also made by Archbishop Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in his thanksgiving address to the Holy Father: ÂHoly Father, the long awaited moment has come, one that is very important, the moment of the sending out on mission. At the conclusion of World Youth Day 2005, the young people before you are filled with the desire to be sent by your Holiness out into the whole world to bear witness to Christ, the Saviour of humankind. They are all ready to depart from Cologne as the young apostles of the third millennium! Give us your blessing, Holy Father! Benedict XVI bid farewell to Âhis young people all over the world by saying, ÂLet us go forward with Christ and let us live our lives as true worshippers of God! AmenÂ. We have deliberately emphasised these central moments of the twentieth World Youth Day when the Holy Father met with the young people. There is much to say about the days preceding these encounters, about the pilgrimage to the cathedral and the relics of the Magi, about moments of joy and of reflection, about churches open all day and night, the spiritual centres where many young people looked for moments of silence, of adoration, of personal encounters with Jesus. We feel that all of this can be summed up in the words of one of the pilgrims: ÂI returned home from Cologne with the knowledge that worship needs commitment. It is more than remaining for a long time on my knees without changing anything within or around meÂ. We depart from the streets of Cologne, from that road that led young people to seek and worship Jesus, and we take the path towards Sydney. This path, once again, is a way to Jesus.
In all its activities, the Pontifical Council for the Laity is at the service of the Holy FatherÂs pastoral ministry over the universal Church in the ever-growing sector of the apostolate of the laity. A particularly significant moment in this collaboration is the meeting between the dicastery and the prelates from around the world on their ad limina Apostolorum visit. The visits in 2005 proved to be opportunities for mutual enrichment and beneficial practical guidelines. In January and February we received three groups of Spanish bishops. In February we met with almost all the Swiss bishops. The memory of the events of the following months will remain with all of the People of God: the worsening illness of our beloved Pope John Paul II and his passing away, and then the providential election of Benedict XVI. The ad limina Apostolorum visits were naturally cancelled during that period. They were resumed in May with visits by the bishops of Rwanda and Burundi. In June we met with the prelates of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. After the summer break, we had meetings with three groups of bishops from Mexico. The topics discussed dealt with the serious problems of lay Catholics in some countries, but always with attention to the signs of hope the Lord is sending to different places. We spoke at some length with the bishops of Spain and Switzerland on questions raised by the advanced secularisation of public institutions and the culture diffused by the mass media. Emphasis was given to the need for all the faithful to give public witness of fundamental human and Christian values that are ignored or even attacked where a relativistic mentality predominates. The Christian education of the laity, especially if developed as a path of Christian initiation, was recognised by the bishops from all the countries and by our dicastery as the fundamental way to restore to the People of God their sense of belonging to the Catholic Church and a clear awareness of their Christian identity. We also spoke with the prelates about the opportunities in this sense being offered by the movements and new communities, especially when they are encouraged and helped to be inserted in local areas and there is respect for the specific features of their charism. Another topic that arose in all the meetings was the preparation for World Youth Day in Cologne. During the ad limina visits of the bishops from Rwanda, Burundi and Papua New Guinea, we were able to offer concrete support to help those young Churches to send a significant number of representatives to WYD in Germany.
The disciples and missionaries of Christ today The first congress of ecclesial movements and new communities in Latin America, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Latin American Bishops Council (CELAM), will take place from 9 to 12 March 2006 in Bogota, Colombia. The objective of the Congress is to define, describe and make known the implications of what it means to be ChristÂs disciples today, in particular in the Latin American context. As we identify the close bonds uniting disciple and Master (followers of Christ), and as we take a new look at the questions Âwhere and Âhow it is possible to find masters to follow, we wish to reflect on a new option that is represented by ecclesial movements and new communities, signs of a Ânew era of group endeavours in the Church through the Holy Spirit. In addition, this theme gives us the opportunity to reflect on the people who are christifideles laici and how they can reinforce awareness of their identity and give new impetus to their engagement with the world. The conclusions emerging from this congress could offer a substantial contribution to preparations for the 5th General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate that will take place in Aparecida, Brazil in May 2007 on the theme ÂDisciples and missionaries of Christ so that our peoples may have life in Him ÂI am the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6)Â. In an increasingly secularised society, and faced with a Âdictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires (Card. Joseph Ratzinger, homily at the Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice), ecclesial movements and new communities bring an unexpected and unsettling newness. ÂThey are the response, given by the Holy Spirit, to this critical challenge at the end of the millennium. You are this providential response (John Paul II, To the members of ecclesial movements and new communities at the Pentecost Vigil, 30 May 1998). With their range of educational methods and the numerous experiences and fruits they bring, these new group endeavours, together with the traditional forms of association of the Catholic laity, undoubtedly represent an important resource for adult education in the faith. They are engaged in Christian witness in public life, in the modern ÂareopaghiÂ. This is particularly important for the situation of the Catholic Church in Latin America where forms of popular devotion remain deeply rooted among the people. They are a resource that must certainly be valued, developed and involved in the work of evangelisation in this continent. This gift of the Holy Spirit, if sufficiently understood and appreciated, can make a significant contribution to the life and mission of the Church in Latin America. In his Magisterium, John Paul II always emphasised the role of the Âmovements in the new evangelisation. In particular, in the encyclical Redemptoris missio he wrote: ÂI call to mind, as a new development occurring in many churches in recent times, the rapid growth of Âecclesial movements filled with missionary dynamism. When these movements humbly seek to become part of the life of local churches and are welcomed by bishops and priests within diocesan and parish structures, they represent a true gift of God both for new evangelization and for missionary activity properly so-called. I therefore recommend that they be spread, and that they be used to give fresh energy, especially among young people, to the Christian life and to evangelization (n. 72). The meeting will take place at the headquarters of the Colombian Bishops Conference, and among those invited  in addition to the superiors and collaborators of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and of CELAM  are the members of the preparatory commission for the 5th General Conference of the Latin American Bishops, a bishop delegate from each bishops conference of the sub-continent, and the international and Latin American heads of over 50 movements and new communities. The programme of the Congress will include an introduction by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz, President of CELAM, and also by Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The first talk on the central theme ÂChristians, therefore disciples of ChristÂ, and the second talk dealing with ÂEcclesial movements and new communities as a response by the Holy Spirit to the challenges of evangelisation todayÂ, will form the basis for three panel discussions on the topics, ÂEcclesial movements and new communities: how the new disciples of Christ arise, are formed and growÂ; ÂEvangelise: the command to make disciples and finally ÂEcclesial movements and new communities: inventiveness in charityÂ. In the study groups we shall look closely at the experiences and reflections of movements and new communities in relation to certain themes such as the Christian proclamation and popular piety; the challenge of the diffusion of sects; cultural challenges in practice and ethical relativism; the presence of Christians in society and politics: the task of reconciliation and justice; the role of education in rebuilding the human, family, and social fabric; inventiveness in charity to respond to old and new forms of poverty; the transmission of faith to young people and their education. The final day of the Congress will open with the talk ÂThe movements in the local ChurchÂ. This will be followed by a panel discussion with two bishops and two founders of movements in which they will examine what the Latin American Church can expect from this new reality. Following the concluding remarks, there will be a Eucharistic celebration in Bogota cathedral.
Juridical recognition and approval of statutes The Pontifical Council for the Laity, by decree dated 15 December 2004, approved the new statutes of the International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP). By decree dated 25 April 2005, definitive approval was given to the statutes of the association Couples for Christ. By decree dated 30 April 2005, approval was given to modifications in the statutes of the Fraternity of St Thomas Aquinas groups (FASTA). By decree dated 9 May 2005, approval was given to modifications in the statutes of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS). The Dicastery is presently examining the requests for canonical recognition presented by the following lay groups: Les maisons dÂadoration, World Apostolate of Fatima, Alliance of the Holy Family International, Apostolate for Family Consecration, Fondacio. Christians for the World, Catholic Integrated Community, Missionary Youth Service (SERMIG), Families of Nazareth Movement, Shalom Catholic Community, Comunità dei Figli di Dio.
After a long illness accepted in a spirit of serene abandon to the divine will, and keenly aware of his participation in the mystery of the Cross, on 22 February 2005, feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Monsignor Luigi Giussani passed away. During the obsequies in Milan Cathedral where there were over forty thousand people, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spoke about don Giussani recalling that he had been born into a household that was Âpoor in bread but rich in music. Right from the beginning he was touched, even wounded, with the longing for beauty. He was not satisfied with just any kind of banal beauty. He searched for Beauty itself, infinite Beauty, and so he found Christ, and in Christ he found true beauty, the path of life, true joyÂ. Monsignor Luigi Giussani was a powerful witness to Christ for the people of our times, and he spent his whole life passionately affirming the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, an event present in the history of the world and seen through the communion of the Church. He was always moved by filial love for the Church and for the Successor of Peter. He taught generations of youth from different countries to be aware that only in Christ can we find and fulfill our truest humanity and make visible the sense of faith that moves the freedom of a person to adhere to Christianity, perceived as the only response that answers to the demands of the human heart. From 1987 he was a consultor of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and he never failed to contribute with clear and reliable ideas to the studies and initiatives of this dicastery. This was a commitment he remained faithful to right to the end. In November 2004 he sent a much appreciated reflection to the twenty-first Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and which we have published in ÂRediscovering the true face of the parishÂ. We give God thanks for the gift of his person and teachings. We are grateful for the kindness with which Monsignor Luigi Giussani has always accompanied the work of our dicastery from the time of the recognition of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation and then of the Memores Domini Lay Association. He saw in this work of discernment a precious service to ecclesial movements that he loved without distinction. In complete agreement with the magisterium of John Paul II, he saw in them a special gift of the Holy Spirit for our times. The late Pope John Paul II said in his letter of condolence that was read at the funeral by Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko: ÂI have met Monsignor Luigi Giussani on several occasions and admired his vibrant faith that brought about Christian witness capable of giving rise to widespread convinced acceptance of the Gospel message, especially among the young. [...] Christ and the Church: this is the synthesis of his life and apostolate. Without ever separating one from the other, he communicated true love for the Lord and for the Popes that he had personally met. [...] He defended the right of human reason [...] He was followed by the members of the Movement he founded and that is now present in many countries of the world, and he was also listened to with respect by people of other faiths and with all kinds of professional responsibilities. I like to remember him as a master of humanity and defender of the religious spirit engraved on the heart of each human beingÂ.
Contacts with associations and movements  On 7 January, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé met with the new international team of the International Catholic Conference of Guiding (ICCG).  On 15 January, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with Gérard and Marie Christine de Roberty and Msgr François Fleischmann, the leaders and spiritual advisor of the Teams of Our Lady.  On 17 January, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo met with Rev. Salvatore Ugenti, TC, head of the Amigonian Cooperators.  On 18 January, Bishop Josef Clemens received the members of the General Chapter of the Schoenstatt Federation of Families.  On 20 January, Bishop Josef Clemens received Josep Maria Torrents, president of the Foederatio Internationalis Pueri Cantores, together with the ecclesiastical assistant.  On 26 January, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Cathy Brenti of the Community of the Beatitudes.  On 2 February, Bishop Josef Clemens met with some of the leaders of the Nazareth Association.  On 3 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko presided at the Mass in Saint John Lateran celebrated in thanksgiving for the 37th anniversary of the SantÂEgidio Community.  On 13 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko presided at the Mass celebrated in the Baptistery of Saint John Lateran for the 17th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of the international movement ATD Fourth World.  On 24 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko was present at the funeral of Msgr Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation, that was held in Milan Cathedral, and he read the letter of condolence sent by John Paul II. The funeral service was presided by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The Pontifical Council for the Laity was also represented by Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry and Dr Roberto Ragusa.  On 24 February, Bishop Josef Clemens, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé received Paul Ortega, secretary general of the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA- Pax Romana).  On 25 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the president of the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships, Prof. Matteo Calisi.  On 26 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with the founder of the SantÂEgidio Community, Prof. Andrea Riccardi.  On 28 February, Bishop Josef Clemens received leaders of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholischer Studentenverbände.  On 28 February, Dr Lucienne Sallé received George Dixon Fernandez, president of the International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth (MIJARC).  On 1 March, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Paolo Maino, founder of the Comunità Shalom, a member association of the Italian Renewal in the Holy Spirit.  On 11 March, Msgr Francis Kohn met with Kevin Ahern and Rev. Mike Deeb, the president and international chaplain of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana). The following day, together with the secretary general of the movement, Zobel Behalal, they met with Bishop Josef Clemens, Msgr Miguel Delgado and Dr Lucienne Sallé.  On 12 March, Bishop Josef Clemens received the president and ecclesiastical assistant of the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA-Pax Romana).  On 14 March, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko, Bishop Josef Clemens and Dr Lucienne Sallé received Ernest König and Msgr Nelson Roque Viola, president and ecclesiastical assistant of the Conference of Catholic International Organisations (COIC).  On 18 March, Bishop Josef Clemens, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé received Dr. Baldur Hermans, secretary general and José Antonio Warletta of the International Catholic Conference of Scouting (ICCS).  On 21 March, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo received Rev. Gianfranco Verri, CSJ, head of the lay group Corona del Cuore Immacolato di Maria Santissima.  On 29 and 30 March, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko took part in the 11th General Meeting of the Apostolate of the Laity in El Escorial (Madrid), and gave a talk on Catholic Action.  On 31 March, Bishop Josef Clemens received Rev. Andreas Mauritz, ecclesiastical assistant of the Federation of German Catholic Youth Associations (BDKJ).  On 9 April, Bishop Josef Clemens received María Eugenia Díaz de Pfennich, president general of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO).  On 11 April, Bishop Josef Clemens received representatives of the Villaregia Missionary Community.  On 12 April, Bishop Josef Clemens, Msgr Miguel Delgado and Dr Lucienne Sallé received a visit by María Eugenia Díaz de Pfennich, president general of WUCWO, the spiritual assistant Rev Gian Maria Polidoro OFM, the secretary general Gillian Badcock and members of the executive council.  On 19 April, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Prof. Ernesto Preziosi and Msgr Tino Mariani, secretary general and ecclesiastical assistant of the International Council of Catholic Men (FIHC-Unum Omnes).  On 20 April, Bishop Josef Clemens received representatives of the International Movement of the Apostolate for Children (MIDADE).  On 28 April, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé received Luca Bergamaschi, Jean Pierre Lhoest and Rev. Jean-Pierre Bordes, the president, treasurer and ecclesiastical assistant of the international team of the International Federation of Catholic Associations of the Blind (FIDACA); and Marina Costa, the new president of the International Association of Charities (AIC).  On 29 April, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko conveyed a greeting from Benedict XVI to 35,000 youth from the Neocatechumenal Way who had gathered in Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. Before that meeting, in preparation for World Youth Day in Cologne, they had gone to the town squares and university campuses of over 150 European cities to proclaim to other young people the message of conversion to Christ.  On 29 April, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé received the international team of the International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements (FIMCAP), Carme Carrion i Ribas, president, Tine Cornillie, general secretary, Olivier Heyen, consultor, Rev. Alveiro Vasquez, international chaplain.  Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry took part in the annual spiritual exercises of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation that took place in Rimini from 29 April to 1 May.  On 10 May, Bishop Josef Clemens, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé met with Manoj Mathew, Ellen Mwila Chanda and Rev. Mike Deeb OP, of the international team of International Young Catholic Students (IYCS).  On 13 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo and Dr Lucienne Sallé received Annie Trabichet and Mother Jane Scaria SSMI, representing the lay branch and the religious branch of the St. Francis DeSales Association.  On 13 May, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo received Ms Marbella, president of the Alliance of the Holy Family International.  On 17 May, Dr Lucienne Sallé received Silvia Staib de Chanes, World Coordinator of the International Catholic Conference of Guiding (ICCG).  On 17 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with representatives of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.  On 18 May, Bishop Josef Clemens received representatives of the Movement for a Better World.  On 19 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Oreste Pesare, director of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS).  On 20 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Rev. Jacques Bagnoud and Rev. Guillaume Trillard of HeartÂs Home; Col. Jürgen Bringmann, secretary general of the International Military Apostolate (AMI); and Luis Fernando Figari, founder and superior general of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. On that same day, Col. Bringmann of the AMI also met with Bishop Josef Clemens.  On 30 May, Bishop Josef Clemens received a group of students from the Academy of Evangelisation in Austria run by the Emmanuel Community.  On 1 June, Bishop Josef Clemens received representatives of Opera della Chiesa.  On 6 June, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with Dr Loreto Ballester, president of the Teresian Association.  On 7 June, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Jean-Luc Moens, international affairs delegate of the Emmanuel Community.  On 7 June, Bishop Josef Clemens received the presi- dent of the World Organisation of Former Pupils of Catholic Education (OMAEC), Dr. Antonio G. Pires.  On 8 June, Bishop Josef Clemens received Dr Gian Luigi Gigli, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC).  On 9 June, Bishop Josef Clemens met with Prof. Matteo Calisi, president of the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships; he also met with representatives of Fondacio.  On 10 June, Bishop Josef Clemens met with representatives of the International Music Academy for Evangelization.  On 11 June, Bishop Josef Clemens met with a group participating in the International Leadership Formation Institute organised by ICCRS in Rome.  On 23 June, Archbishop Stanisł aw Ryłko met with Rev. Julián Carrón, incoming president of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation.  On 24 June, Bishop Josef Clemens met with representatives of the Missionary Community of Saint Paul.  On 26 June, Bishop Josef Clemens celebrated the feastday Mass for the Association of Saints Peter and Paul during which new members were received.  On 2 July, Bishop Josef Clemens received the president and the ecclesiastical assistant of the Foederatio Internationalis Pueri Cantores, Josep Maria Torrents and Ks. Robert Tyrala.  From 5 to 8 July Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry took part in the world meeting of the Amigonian Cooperators held in Valencia, Spain.  On 22 July, Bishop Josef Clemens received a group from the Light and Life movement in Poland.  On 25 July, Rev. Kevin Lixey was in Madrid for the 57th FISEC games (Fédération Internationale Sportive de l'Enseignement Catholique). He met with Matt Pieters, president, and other members of the FISEC International Bureau.  On 29 July, Bishop Josef Clemens received Paul Ortega, secretary general of the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA-Pax Romana).  In the second half of July, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry visited several communities associated with Catholic charismatic renewal in Brazil (Shalom, Cançao Nova, Obra de Maria and Palavra Viva). He also met with local leaders of ecclesial movements and new communities.  On 8 August, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Most Rev. Francesco Lambiasi, ecclesiastical assistant of Azione Cattolica Italiana and the International Forum of Catholic Action.  On 7 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received Rev. Luigi Prandin and Dr Maria Luigia Corona, founders of Villaregia Missionary Community.  On 9 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with the representatives of the Bread of Life Community.  On 21 September, Bishop Josef Clemens celebrated Mass at the first Assembly of the International Confederation of the Apostolate of the Suffering.  On 26 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the itinerant catechists responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in Japan.  On 26 September, Bishop Josef Clemens received the representatives of the Villaregia Missionary Community.  Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko presided at the Eucharistic celebration of 28 September at the international retreat for priests of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal held in Arsdur- Formans (France) from 25 September to 1 October. It was organised by the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) and the Community of the Beatitudes in collaboration with the Société Jean-Marie Vianney.  On 29 September, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry and Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo met with Rev. Laurent Pavec of Heart's Home.  On 30 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko gave one of the keynote addresses at the international convention on ÂThe signs of the Spirit in the 20th century. An historical rereading: accounts by witnesses that took place in Lucca from 30 September to 2 October. It was sponsored by the Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo together with the Focolare Movement and the Sant'Egidio Community. The Pontifical Council for the Laity was also represented by the under- secretary, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry.  From 28 to 30 September, Bishop Josef Clemens took part in the plenary assembly of the International Military Apostolate (AMI) that was held in Vilnius (Lithuania) on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the AssociationÂs founding. His inaugural speech dealt with the Holy SeeÂs expectations of the AMI.
Other engagements  On 17 January, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of Peru to the Holy See, H.E. Pablo Morán Val.  On 21 January, Bishop Josef Clemens met with Mr Edio Costantini, President of the Italian Sports Centre C.S.I., and Msgr Carlo Mazza, Director of the national office for leisure and sport pastoral ministry of the Italian Bishops Conference.  On 24 January, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima, Peru.  On 25 January, Msgr Miguel Delgado Galindo met with Most Reverend Antonio Algora, Bishop of Ciudad Real and Grand Prior of the Orders of Chivalry in Spain.  On 6 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko presided at the Mass organised by Most Reverend Michel Dubost, Bishop of Evry-Corbeil- Essonnes, France, for all the ethnic groups present in that diocese.  On 10 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of France to the Holy See, H.E. Pierre Morel.  On 15 February, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry received a group of ten priests from the Archdiocese of Montreal, Canada.  On 21 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Bishop of Versailles, France, Most Reverend Eric Aumonier.  On 23 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain, Most Reverend Lluís Martínez Sistach.  On 28 February, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Archbishop of Paris, France, Most Reverend André Vingt-Trois.  On 4 March, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Holy See, H.E. Monique Patricia Antoinette Frank.  On 9 March, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See, H.E. Fokovych G. Khoruzhyi.  On 12 March, Bishop Josef Clemens presided the lenten ÂStatio in the Basilica of St Nicola in Carcere in Rome.  On 9 April, Bishop Josef Clemens met with Rabbi Israel Singer, president of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress.  On 22 April, Bishop Josef Clemens met with several bishops from the Latin American Bishops' Council (CELAM).  On 6 May, Archbishop Stanisł aw Ryłko received the Bishop of Caruaru, Brazil, Most Reverend Bernardino Marchió.  On 11 May, Archbishop Stanisł aw Ryłko received the Bishop of Luçon, France, Most Reverend Michel Santier.  On 13 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with Most Reverend Giambattista Diquattro, Apostolic Nuncio in Panama.  On 21 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko and Dr. Lucienne Sallé met with Most Reverend Jean-Luc Brunin, Bishop of Ajaccio, together with delegates from the confraternities of that diocese.  On 23 May, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko spoke at the University Day that was held to prepare for the 20th World Youth Day at the ÂLa Sapienza University in Rome. Among those present were the Rector of the ÂAteneo RomanoÂ, Prof. Renato Guardini, and the Pro-Rector of Cologne University, Prof. Tassilo Küpper.  Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko took part in a symposium organised by the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow on 28 May. This concurred with the presentation of the Proceedings of the Congress of Catholic Laity of Eastern Europe that had taken place in Kiev in October 2003. The aim of the meeting was to develop the basic directives that issued from the Congress and to find new ways for the involvement and engagement of the laity in the mission of the Church in Russia. On 29 May, Archbishop Ryłko led the Corpus Christi procession that took place in the streets of central Moscow.  On 4 June, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of Georgia to the Holy See, H.E. Alexander D. Chikvaidze.  On 7 June, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko and Msgr Francis Kohn met with the young people and the staff of the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome.  On 8 June, Bishop Josef Clemens met with the administration of the World Jewish Congress based in New York.  On 23 June, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the Ambassador of Austria to the Holy See, H.E. Walter Greinert.  From 14 to 23 August, a delegation from the Pontifical Council for the Laity were present at WYD in Cologne. The delegation was composed of Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko, Bishop Josef Clemens, Mgsr Francis Kohn, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry, Elizabeth Hawkins, María del Pilar Mendieta Vetter, Gabriele Turella and Giovanni Runco.  On 28 August, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko and Bishop Josef Clemens took part in the ceremony of installation of Most Reverend Stanisław Dziwisz as Archbishop of Krakow.  On 12 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko received the members of the administration of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, USA.  On 13 September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko met with the Archbishop of Albi, France, Most Reverend Pierre -Marie Carré.  On 21st September, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko presided at the Eucharistic celebration at the First World Congress of the Benedictine Oblates (Rome 19-25 September).  On 23 September, Bishop Josef Clemens received the president, Heinz Fennegold, and members of the directorate of the German Society for Foreign Affairs (Deutsche Auslandsgesellschaft); he also received representatives of the Rottenburg- Stuttgart diocesan magazine Katholisches Sonntagsblatt.  On 24 September, Bishop Josef Clemens took part in the ÂSan Michele literary awards ceremony in Capri.  As part of the commemorative celebrations for the 4th centenary of the birth of Saint Joseph of Copertino, Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko spoke in Ancona on 24 September at the ceremony conferring on the ÂJohn Paul II Foundation a special prize in memory of Pope Wojtyła. The Foundation was founded in 1981, and it aims to sustain and carry out works that are scientific, cultural, religious or charitable in nature and are connected to the pontificate of the Servant of God. On 25 September, Archbishop Ryłko was present when a parchment from John Paul II was placed in the Teatro delle Muse. The parchment had been given to the city on 3 July 2004 to commemorate the musical event for peace Canto di Pace.  From 23 to 25 September, Msgr Francis Kohn took part in a European meeting of national campus ministers held in Budapest. He spoke on the topic ÂAfter WYD in Cologne: towards a formative path for university studentsÂ.  During the preparatory phase of WYD in Cologne, Bishop Josef Clemens held a meeting on 10 February with Professor Hubert Gindert, president of the Forum Deutscher Katholiken and a group of representatives of the Forum. On 16 and 17 February, he took part in the Plenary Assembly of the German Bishops Conference in Stapelfeld, Germany, and gave an account of the preparations for WYD. On 2 March, he concelebrated the Eucharist with Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne, at the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre in Rome. On 9 March, he received the Secretary General of the German Bishops Conference, Rev. Dr. Hans Langendörfer, SJ. On 10 March he received the Bishop of Passau, Most Reverend Wilhelm Schraml, together with a group of seminarians. On 14 March, he received the Bishop of Eichstätt, Most Reverend Walter Mixa, with a group of seminarians. On 4 April, he received the new deacons of the Archdiocese of Paderborn. On 19 April he met with a group of German journalists. On 9 May, he received the German WYD organising committee. On 3 June, in Regensburg, Germany, he gave an address on the topic Âchallenges and opportunities of WYD in Cologne for pastoral work in the parishes. On 7 July, in Eichstätt, he spoke to pastoral ministry leaders of the diocese about WYD with the title ÂWorld Youth Day 2005: what comes next? On 11 July, he met with the heads of the German Section of Vatican Radio. On 22 July, he met with journalists from the German Catholic Press Agency (KNA).  As WYD in Cologne drew closer, Msgr Francis Kohn, head of the Youth Section of the dicastery, had several meetings with pastors from bishops conferences and leaders of youth ministry in several countries. On 18 January, together with Elizabeth Hawkins, he received Rev. Alwyn DÂSouza, head of youth ministry in the Indian Bishops Conference. On 22 January, he took part in a workshop on WYD organised by the Centre for Theological Studies in Caen, France. He spoke on the impact of WYD on youth and on the Church over the past twenty years. On 23 May, he took part in a panel discussion at the 24th National Eucharistic Congress in Bari, in which he presented the new DVD on John Paul II and the WYD Cross that was produced by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Youth Church Hope Foundation.  On 21 May, Msgr Francis Kohn took part in the 3rd National Meeting of WYD delegates in France (from dioceses and movements). He spoke about the catecheses as stages in the spiritual path of WYD in Cologne. From 17 to 21 June, together with Bishop Josef Clemens, he went to Cologne to visit the locations for WYD 2005 and to have working sessions with the German organising committee. On 30 June, together with Archbishop Stanisław Ryłko and Bishop Josef Clemens, he returned to Cologne for a working session on the WYD catecheses and for the inauguration of the Vatican exhibition organised by the Youth Church Hope Foundation together with the Pontifical Council for the Laity on the theme, ÂImages of ChristÂ.
John Paul II and the WYD Cross The Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Youth Church Hope Foundation are pleased to present the DVD ÂJohn Paul II and the WYD CrossÂ. It gives a brief and incisive account of the story of the Cross that Pope John Paul II gave to the youth of the world in April 1984 at the closing of the Holy Year of the Redemption. The Cross went on to become a central element at World Youth Days. The DVD is complemented by a photographic album with the same title that uses selected themes to demonstrate the special relationship between John Paul II and young people, often shown through the WYD Cross. Both the DVD (with commentary in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) and the photographic album (available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) can be ordered from: Pontifical Council for the Laity 00120 - Vatican City Tel. +39 06 698 87322; 87141; 87296; 87333; 87396 Fax +39 06 698 87214 Cost including postage: Dvd: Â 8 Photographic album fotografico: Â 5; Dvd + photographic album: Â 10.
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