Hundreds of Thousands Attend Catholic Youth Gathering in Cologne
By Sabina Castelfranco
Cologne
17 August 2005
The Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day celebrations have begun in Cologne, Germany. Hundreds of thousands are in the city. They say they hope to gain a stronger spirituality and a deeper faith and are certain that although he is different, the new pope will continue along the same path of his predecessor.
They are singing, cheering, and clapping in the streets. The joyful youth of the Roman Catholic Church have been gathering in Cologne for the arrival of Pope Benedict who will be spending four days in the city. The high point of his first visit home will be an open-air mass for the young people who have come from all corners of the world.
The young people say that being here is an incredible experience: being able to meet so many others from different countries and share their ideals and hopes for the future and being able to join together, all with the same desire to deepen their faith.
Pope Benedict will be watched very closely to see just what kind of connection he manages to establish with young people. And the new pope knows he is being put to the test here in his own country, in his own language.
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