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World Youth Days are events to bring together young Catholics from around the globe to celebrate and learn about their faith on a more regular basis, and build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures.
World Youth Day was established by Pope John Paul II and has become a
defining characteristic of his papacy as a way to reach out to the next
generation of Catholics, demonstrate confidence in them, rejuvenate the
church and carry forth its teachings. In his words:
"The Lord has given his special blessings to this gathering [on Palm Sunday], so in the coming years a celebration of the world day of youth shall be held on Palm Sundays in collaboration with the Council for the Laity."
The basic tenets of World Youth Day are:
- An expression of the universal Church
- An instrument of evangelisation of the young
- An 'Epiphany' of the youth of the Church
- An effective sign of ecclesial union
- A pilgrimage of faith, both spiritually and practically
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