World Youth Day: An International Catholic Event

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World Youth Day

Introduction

The international Catholic event "World Youth Day" has its origins in the International Jubilee of Youth which was celebrated in Rome in 1984. Pope John Paul II asked the youth of the world to meet him in Rome for that event, and 300,000 youths did respond from all over the world - gathering there on Palm Sunday, April 15, 1984. After this gathering, there was another similar event in connection to the International Year of the Youth declared by the United Nations in 1985. Pope John Paul II had another gathering of youths with him during that event. The first time the term "World Youth Day" was coined was in 1985, when the Pope announced a "World Youth Day" to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 11 and 12, 1987.

First official "World Youth Day"

The first official international World Youth Day celebrated outside of Rome was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Pope travelled to Argentina for such a world event. From this initial official gathering a tradition of holding World Youth Day every two to three years was created. The holy father would then travel to a foreign land for this purpose. Between the "World Youth Days" in foreign lands, there would be local gatherings of youths in Rome to allow the bishops of the other parts of the world to have their celebration also.

World Youth Days celebrated so far

Below is a list of World Youth Days celebrated so far with an approximate number of those who attended the event.

1987: Buenos Aires, Argentina; 900,000 attended
1989: Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 400,000 attended
1991: Czestochowa, Poland; 1.54 million attended
1993: Denver, Colorado, USA; 500,000 attended
1995: Manila, Philippines; 5 million attended
1997: Paris, France; 1.2 million attended
2000: Rome, Italy; 2 million attended
2002: Toronto, Canada; 800,000 attended
2005: Cologne, Germany; 1.2 million attended
2008: scheduled for Sydney, Australia on July 15-20

An event for the pope to gather the youth

Pope Benedict led his first World Youth Day in 2005, at Cologne, Germany. World Youth Days are international Catholic events that gather the youths from all over the world. During these events, the youths from all over the world meet other youths of different cultures and nationalities. It is a time for the sharing of the Catholic faith with one another and to create ties of friendship and peace between Catholic youths of many different cultures.