{UAH} Millions of pilgrims for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro

As expected over 3 million youths and pilgrims from all over the world will assemble

in Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil ) to participate in events that will mark the 2013 World Youth Day

which the Pope will inaugurate and conclude ( 23 to 28 July 2013 ). Pope Francis leaves Rome

for Rio on Monday and this will mark his first visit abroad since becoming Pope.

The Holy Pontiff who two days ago visited retired Pope Benedict XVI in a Vaticn monastery and

asked him to pray for his Rio project, is indeed in very good form and his message of evangelization

based on poverty and care for the unprivileged will indeed attract masses and masses to his side and will

definitely leave in Latin America a very strong Church and inspire lots of foreign pilgrims in many things.

Pope Francis is ready to conquer and will conquer, in the same way as it took him a mere 10 days to show a

message of hope to the Church!

Rio is getting ready to give a very triumphant welcome to the first Latin American Pope. Over 35000 high tech

security personnel are on the ready for any incident. Close to 50 million euros is the sum already spent by the

authorities for the preparations. Brazil wants to profit from the occasion to show how it has the capacity to welcome

those millions and eventually a year later the millions that will attend the World Football Cup matches.

World Youth Day events being an occasion to promote solidarity and hope among the youth from all over the world, is

indeed a world mobilizer which is now seeing hordes of youths and pilgrims arriving from all corners of the world!

So far 1000 bishops and 10000 priests from all over the globe are already there! These ecclesiastics will preach, conduct

debates, preside over Church services, and encourage music and sensible youth activity. 

Africa has sent in many delegations, with Angola rushing in 700 youths! And this has been very positively seen in Rio!

Several world delegations from all continents have been seen in Rio. The Holy Land is represented by 350 people, China

has posted in a high-powered delegation of 16, Cuba lands with 90, the USA 9500 so far, France 5500, Spain 4000, 

Italy 7000, Switzerland 600, Germany 4000-plus, Australia 1800 including 16 bishops and a cardinal, India, the Phippines,

and Canada, some 600 each, ETC.. Needless to count those from Latin America, since they will turn up in millions to cheer

their son Francis! Just imagine how the Pope will be received by Brazil's 128 million Roman Catholics, all madly attached to him!

The progammes wll be inspirational and will enable all youths to participate in an activity. Good theologians and excellent

preachers have been named to conduct all important sessions. At the 2011 World Youth Day in Spain Congo's Cardinal

Archbishop of Kinshasa, His Eminence Laurent Pasinya Monsengwo, who was chosen to preach to all youths from Francophone

countries, did wonders and impressed all the youth in attendance as well as all TV-viewers all over the world! He may be absent this

time as he is busy compiling details for the 9-strong commission which the Pope constituted to advise on the very much relevant

reforms in Vatican's bureaucratic Curia. Many would have loved another Monsengwo repeat!

   Rio's crowds will by all means beat those of the last World Youth Day in Spain. And will be an important curtain-raiser for

popular Pope Francis's further trips abroad, including Africa, a continent he has fully won on his side, thanks to his effort to 

advocate and feel concern for the poor! Go forward, Francis the Great!

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )