World Youth Day 2002

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The XVII. World Youth Day of the Roman Catholic Church took place July 23-28, 2002 in Toronto . The motto was “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world ”( Mt 5 : 13-14  EU ). The number of participants is estimated at around 800,000 people.

It was the last World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II, the initiator of the World Youth Days, as the host.

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World Youth Day began with a preliminary program in numerous Canadian dioceses from July 18 to 21, to which international guests were also invited.

The official start in Toronto was the opening fair on Tuesday, July 23 at 4:00 p.m. local time. The celebrant was the Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic . The Pope arrived in Toronto on Thursday, July 25, and was welcomed with a welcome ceremony. Exhibition Place was the venue for the opening event, as well as the Pope's greeting and the youth festival .

From July 24th to 26th, catecheses and services in different languages ​​took place in the morning at over 100 different venues throughout the city , which were held by the bishops from all over the world who had traveled with them. The topics dealt with related to the motto of World Youth Day and a verse from 2nd Corinthians:

  • Wednesday: "You are the salt of the earth." ( Mt 5 : 13-14  EU )
  • Thursday: "You are the light of the world." ( Mt 5 : 13-14  EU )
  • Friday: "Be reconciled to God!" ( 2 Cor 5:20  EU )

In the afternoons, a variety of artistic, cultural and spiritual events were offered as part of the youth festival in Exhibition Place.

The Stations of the Cross on Friday July 26th led along University Avenue from Nathan Philip Square (City Hall) to the Royal Ontario Museum.

The 260 hectare Downside Park was used for the final event , consisting of the vigil ceremony , subsequent overnight stay and the final fair . Pope John Paul II had already celebrated Holy Mass on the former military airfield during his trip abroad to Canada in September 1984.

During the closing event , the Pope announced that the next international World Youth Day would take place in Cologne in 2005. In an appeal, he then turned to the German-speaking young people:

“Dear young people in the German language! It is particularly up to you to keep the spirit of World Youth Day alive in view of the meeting in Cologne in 2005. Build a civilization of love and justice! Be a shining example yourself who will lead many others to the kingdom of Christ, to the kingdom of truth, justice and peace "

- Pope John Paul II

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