Catholic Youths In Sydney Celebrate World Youth Day

July 14, 2008 3:26 p.m. EST

Sydney, Australia (AHN) - While the 200,000 Catholic youths in Sydney held a grand celebration for the World Youth Day cross, Pope Benedict XVII spent the day reflecting at the Opus Dei retreat house in preparation for the Sunday Mass where half a million foreign and local participants are expected to attend.

The pope will stay for two days at the Opus Dei-run hostel.

The World Youth Day cross was on the final leg of its 12-month journey throughout Australia. Together with an icon of the Perpetual Help carrying a baby Jesus, the two Catholic symbols sailed from Manly to Circular Quay aboard the MV Narrabeen and then were carried by young pilgrims throughout the central business district.

On Thursday the German pontiff will greet the pilgrims for the first time. Pope Benedict's route will be from the Sydney Harbor to the Barangaroo Foreshore.

The last World Youth Day was held in Germany in 2005. The Catholic event was a brainchild of Pope John Paul II who had led the annual event held alternately in Rome and major capital cities with majority Catholic or Christian population like Krakow, Paris, Toronto and Manila.