World Youth Day effect

Pope Francis is back in his Vatican residence presumably attending by this time to more sedate functions, but like millions of people who attended and closely followed the World Youth Day (WYD) events in Rio de Janeiro, their enthusiasm and anticipation have yet to subside.

The compelling effect of the Catholic youth tradition known as World Youth Day began with a simple invitation by the charismatic now Blessed John Paul II to young people more than 25 years ago. Since then, the festival has brought joy and zeal, capturing the hearts of people everywhere that even Pope Francis was not spared after concluding his six-day apostolic trip to his native continent.

“I am back home, and I assure you that my joy is much greater than my exhaustion!” said the Supreme Pontiff in his July 29 tweet after a 12-hour flight from the Brazilian capital.

Filipino pilgrims who attended previous WYD events said that there is a different kind of energy that permeates the Catholic youth festival.

The prayers and conversations seem to ignite a fire making people “immersed in the rhythms of ordinary life changed for the better,” said a WYD alumna. Their experiences point to faith renewal and joyful hope, virtues that the world sorely need during these times of never-ending new gadgets and novel ideas that generate false and dangerous values.

To recall, it was during the reign of now Blessed Pope John Paul II that the World Youth Day began. In 1984, he invited young people from around the world to join him in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday and some 300,000 people responded.

The following year, John Paul II invited them again for Palm Sunday and he got the same enthusiastic response, prompting him to announce the institution of World Youth Day in December 20, 1985. The first official WYD was held in Rome in 1986 but the first International WYD was celebrated in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Nine years later, John Paul II came to Manila to lead the Catholic youth festival attended by approximately five million people. The charismatic spiritual leader was in front and at the center of prayers, songs and barrio fiesta-themed programs and, to use the oft-repeated line of the young people, the 1995 Manila WYD rocked like no other.

Among Pope Francis’ much scrutinized comments during the press conference on his return flight to Rome were his statements about “gay priests” and the “gay lobby.”

Because his responses were being “conflated” or mixed up with other issues, Vatican officials chided the mainstream press for “misinterpreting” the papal pronouncements. At the same time, they released snippets of the Holy Father’s responses and matched them with appropriate Catechetical references to put his statements in the proper context.

My own take is this.

That we have a Pope who does not shy away from media interviews and uses simple language instead of theological terminologies. That is very refreshing. Through his unaffected and natural style, the Church was able to convey its message in real time.

The muscles of the Church represented by some members of the clergy have atrophied because many of them carry out their vocation as if it is a profession. And they preach to the choir even if the members are no longer there. I refer to Catholics who converted to other religions. Many in fact became disillusioned about the authenticity of what the Catholic Church teaches because they saw how some priests abused their influence to gain wealth and power.

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Meanwhile, news reporters asked the Pope about Msgr. Battista Ricca who heads the commission of cardinals that govern the controversial Vatican Bank. A newspaper in Italy had earlier reported that Msgr. Ricca was in a homosexual relationship while serving at the papal nunciature in Uruguay 1999 to 2001.

In response, Pope Francis said the inquiry about the supposed sins committed by Monsignor Rica more than 12 years ago, yielded “nothing.”

He also warned against seeking to “out the sins of somebody’s youth and publish them.”

“We’re not talking about crimes, which are something else,” he said. “But one can sin and then convert, and the Lord both forgives and forgets.”

“This is important because those who want the Lord to forget their sins should forget those of others. We don’t have the right to refuse to forget … it’s dangerous,” he said.

Reading the transcript of the Pope’s statements, I can’t help but think of the case of Monsignor Cristobal Garcia who was suspended last year after the Vatican opened investigations into reports that he sexually abused altar boys while serving in the United States 20 years ago.

This is a sensitive case but with Pope Francis emphasizing forgiveness and compassion and suggesting that we can’t judge gays who seek the Lord with goodwill, I believe the Vatican will look at the case of Monsignor Garcia differently.

I’m writing this segment with some apprehension because it could unnecessarily disturb and hurt the family of Monsignor Cris but let me assure them that such is not my intention.