When Pope Benedict XVI succeeded Blessed John Paul II in 2005 many people wondered what would become of WYD. The charismatic John Paul founded WYD in 1985 and presided over the first nine global gatherings of Catholic youth. Everywhere he went, John Paul attracted huge, adoring crowds. He connected with youth in a way that few, if any, pontiffs ever had.
{iframe width="100%" height="125px"}http://www.catholicregister.org/images/stories/WYD_article_promo.html{/iframe}Benedict was 78 when the College of Cardinals elected him Pope. To his critics, his age was a strike against him, particularly in terms of connecting with young Catholics. Also, in contrast to the warm, embracing personality of his predecessor, Benedict was widely portrayed — unfairly it turns out — as cold, inflexible and old-fashioned, hardly the right person to carry on the important ministry of WYD.
But by the hundreds of thousands, the crowds in Madrid joyously demonstrated how wrong the naysayers were about Benedict. The WYD franchise has never been stronger. Despite ineptness by organizers — the Vatican should take steps to ensure there is never a repeat of the mayhem that plagued Madrid — Benedict has transcended the generations and become a worthy successor to the youth legacy of Blessed John Paul II.
He may not ooze John Paul’s natural charisma, but Benedict has a humble, intelligent, grandfatherly appeal that obviously resonates with youth. They are eager to follow him. His message to them was straightforward and heartfelt: reject individualism and lifestyle choices that exclude God and return home in discipleship to take up a ministry of love and service to others.
And off they went — almost two million strong.
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