World Youth Day is now only a few weeks away. I would like to recall the memorable words with which Blessed John Paul II explained the reasons for his decision to initiate these important meetings: “All young people should feel that the Church cares for them. That is why the whole Church all over the world, united with the Successor of Peter, must engage ever more with youth, connecting with their anxieties and cares, their eagerness and hopes. We must reach out and respond to their expectations by communicating the certainty that is Christ, the Truth that is Christ, the love that is Christ, and to do so through proper instruction – the necessary and contemporary way of evangelisation” (Address to the College of Cardinals, the Curia and the Roman Prelature, 20 December 1985). With these words, the Pope pointed to the very core of the pastoral plan for future WYDs, and thus he turned a new page in the relationship of the Church with the younger generations. It was due to this prophetic choice made by John Paul II that the Church, at the threshold of the new millennium, discovered its youthful face, full of hope, joy and the enthusiasm of faith. WYDs proved to be “laboratories of faith” for millions of young people from all the continents. It is thanks to WYD that so many young people found Christ – the Way, the Truth and the Life – and this changed their lives. They made so many important discoveries, especially that most important one about the beauty and joy of being Christians. So many vocational choices were made here – for the priesthood, for consecrated life, and also for Christian marriage. These past years have produced a truly new generation of young people: the young people who say “yes” to Christ and his Church, and who have found that the Successor of Peter is a friend and sure guide in life. I am certain that we could add many other positive outcomes to this list. We can only give thanks to the Lord for this amazing gift.

Pope Benedict XVI faithfully retraces the footsteps of his predecessor, and he likes to remind us that Pope Wojtyła was the “the brilliant founder of World Youth Day, an insight that I consider an inspiration”(Apostolic journey to Cologne on the occasion of the 20th World Youth Day, address to the bishops of Germany, 21 August 2005). In his recent book-interview, he declared “World Youth Days have actually turned out to be a genuine gift for me. When I think about the number of faith initiatives that get started or about the intense joy that remains and about the spirit of recollection that, amazingly, pervades the actual World Youth Days themselves, I cannot help saying: Something is happening here, and we are absolutely not the ones who are making it happen.[...] In the World Youth Days we have, I think, hit upon something that helps everyone.” (Light of the World, p. 112, 113). Awareness of the importance of the gift received should make us feel a strong sense of responsibility so that this grace may not be wasted. With this awareness we must set out towards the fast approaching WYD 2011 in Madrid.

So, I say to all young people, “see you in Madrid!”