April 2, 2005

World Youth Day mourns Pope John Paul II

(Cologne, 2 April 2005) The Secretary General of World Youth Day, Prelate Dr. Heiner Koch, has issued the following statement on behalf of the Local Organisation Committee, the Supervisory Board of Weltjugendtag gGmbH and the German WYD Office:

The staff are mourning Pope John Paul II. Since the announcement which was made at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto that the next World Youth Day would be held in the Archdiocese of Cologne, many of those responsible, who have grown to form a staff of more than 200 at the German WYD Office, have been untiring in their endeavours to prepare for World Youth Day, and in particular the visit of Pope John Paul II.

With the death of Pope John Paul II, the youth of the world has lost one of its greatest advocates. The Pope called the World Youth Days into being, and hence developed them to become a central element of his Pontificate. It was his dearest wish to come to Cologne from 18 to 21 August 2005. Our work was sustained by the great trust placed by the Holy Father, for which we are very grateful to him. Those responsible for World Youth Day and the staff are grieving over his death today, together with the young people and the faithful all over the world.

May the Lord give Pope John Paul II his well-deserved rest. We will continue to work for World Youth Day with the blessing of the deceased. The requiem of the German WYD Office for the deceased Pope will be held on Tuesday, 5 April 2005, at 6 p.m. in Saint Gereon's church in Cologne.

 

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