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From Fides ServiceJuly 31, 2009
Preparations are already underway for
the 26th World Youth Day (WYD) in Madrid, August 15-21, 2011, with the theme:
“Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith.” Yesterday, July 30, a
press conference was held at the Archdiocese of Madrid headquarters, given by
the WYD Director of Communications, Santiago de la Cierva, along with Auxiliary
Bishop Cesar Franco. During the conference, a presentation was made of the
official logo of WYD.
The creator's name is Jose Gil-Nogues, a graphic designer who works in Madrid
and Oviedo (Spain). He explained that the drawing depicts “the youth of the
entire world who come together to celebrate their faith with the Pope, at the
foot of the Cross, and form a crown of the Virgin of Almudena (Patroness of
Madrid). The crown shows an “M” for Mary, as well as to recall the first letter
of Madrid, the site of the encounter. The Cross, the sign of the Christian,
presides this meeting of the Pope with the youth, who bear witness to the theme
of the WYD: “Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith.”
As for the form, “the symbol is drawn in a spontaneous and firm stroke, symbolic
of the youth of the 21st century...familiar, friendly, and open...joyful, at
ease, and positive.” As for the colors: “The use of vibrant colors (red, orange,
and yellow) transmits warmth and glow, symbolic of a city like Madrid and a
country like Spain. These colors are also a reflection of that “divine warmth”
of Trinitarian Love.”
There was also a brief statement on the preparations taking place for the event,
which have been fully supported by the Spanish Government and the City of
Madrid. The sites of Alcala, Gran Via, Puerta del Sol, Almudena Cathedral, and
Paseo de la Castellana will host a large number of the WYD events, giving
special importance to the traditional Way of the Cross. The Seminary of Madrid
will hold a special encounter for seminarians, as well. The “central” act of the
event will be, along with the Vigil on Saturday, the Mass on Sunday, which will
take place in the Cuatro Vientos Air Base, at 9:30am. The Opening Mass will be
celebrated by Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles.
There is also a possibility of holding Masses at various sites, to attend to the
pilgrims of a variety of languages.
In the month of September, there will be an organizational chart presented with
the heads of the WYD organization and the website of the encounter will also be
presented. Santiago de la Cierva explained that “in order to create an
informational source that is complete, for all those who plan on attending,” the
Archdiocese will launch, at the end of September, an official website that will
be available in six official languages (English, French, Italian, German,
Portuguese, and Spanish) and three additional languages (Russian, Arabic, and
Chinese). “We also hope to make the event known through the main social networks
such as 'Facebook' and 'hi5' in order to reach out to the youth that use them on
a constant basis,” he added.
In this World Youth Day, the main instrument for communication will be the
Internet and social networks, which not only facilitate information, but also
create communities.
Lastly, the passage of the Cross and the Icon of the Virgin Mary, symbols of
WYD, will begin this September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,
with a Prayer Vigil in the Almudena Cathedral. There will be a pilgrimage of the
symbols through the various different parishes of the Archdiocese of Madrid,
until the end of March 2010. During that time, the Cross and Icon will also
visit the Soto del Real Prison, the “Juvenalia” Youth Fair, and will accompany
the youth of Madrid in their pilgrimage to Javier (Spain). Campus Ministry, the
Military Archdiocese of Spain, the Diocese of Alcala de Henares, and the Diocese
of Getafe will also host them. The dioceses located along the route of the
Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James) will also participate in a special
manner, as 2010 is a Jubilee Year of Compostela. A large number of Spanish youth
are expected to attend the European encounter in Santiago de Compostela that
summer.
This is the second time that Spain hosts World Youth Day. The first time it was
celebrated in Spain was in Santiago de Compostela, in 1989, and it so happens
that it was also organized by Cardinal Rouco Varela, then Archbishop of
Santiago. (RG)
