His Eminence Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto
Biography :: Letters, Homilies, Statements :: Articles

Letter to the Pastors Regrading World Youth Day
February 14, 2002

Dear Father,

At the beginning of Lent, one is expected to speak and write about Lent. You will forgive me, I trust, if I write about World Youth Day in July, an event which will ask of us both effort and hospitality.

It is hardly necessary to stress that it will be a unique event - there will be no repeat performance, either in Toronto or in Canada during our lifetime. It will be as well a very important event in the lives of the young people, ours and those of the world. The three Youth Days I have attended, in Denver, Manila and Rome, have shown me the profound and lasting impression they make on the young and old alike. It is the young people who evangelize one another. The Holy Father has shown repeatedly that he trusts them and that he enjoys being with them. One cannot help but admire his self-confident insight and persistent promotion of World Youth Days in the face of much scepticism and inertia.

There is thus a great deal we must do in the coming weeks and months. Yes, there is always much to do in our parishes, but let me say it again: this is a unique, unrepeatable event of deep significance for all of us.

Allow me to stress the need to do three things in particular:

(1) to promote the home housing by your parishioners for the pilgrims,

(2) to help in the job of finding as many capable and reliable volunteers as possible, and

(3) to see to it that as many young people as possible register early for the World Youth Day.

Invite various Parish organizations to help you in this work,

· by inviting young people to register,

· by sponsoring funding to support registration,

· by campaigning for more home hospitality,

· by offering to act as volunteers,

· by praying and fasting during Lent for the success of the World Youth Day.

Kindly inform the Bishop of your Region what is being undertaken in your Parish.

I must speak as well of the pilgrimage of the cross in June and July. I am amazed again and again at the spiritual effect which this central symbol of our salvation is having on its way across Canada. I suspect that one reason for my amazement lies in the abstract nature of much of our theologizing, which tends to atrophy our appreciation of symbols. We have every reason to expect the cross to bring us closer to the One who died on it.

One more matter: the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In Rome the number of young people thronging the individual confession stations was surprising and overwhelming. There could be no doubt of their thirst to be shown, personally and not as part of an anonymous crowd, the loving and forgiving face of their heavenly Father. Many confessors will be recruited from among the visiting priests and Bishops. But we need a core group taken from the local clergy. You may well be approached in the near future to join this group.

I conclude by thanking the people who have been working very hard and devotedly in preparing for the World Youth Day: Bishops Meagher and Boissonneau, Fr. Rosica and his highly dedicated Team, Fr. Norm Roberts and our School Boards. They are worthy representatives of many, many others in our parishes and schools.

Wishing you a spiritually fruitful Lent, I remain, Yours in Christ,

Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic

Archbishop of Toronto