{UAH} World Youth Day : 1.5 million attend inaugural Mass!

Dozens of cardinals and hundreds of bishops and thousands of

priests were part of the one and half million-strong crowd that assembled

at Copacabana Beach for the inaugural Mass presided by the Archbishop

of Rio de Janeiro, Msgr Dom Oran Tampesta who also delivered a good sermon

that encouraged the youth to be strong in faith and to stand by the church;

The crowd was well-recollected and was flying all flags of all nationalities present.

The youths, in spite of some set backs with public transport, tried to assemble by

the million-plus, just half the number that will start turning up from Thursday when

the Pope will be presiding at Copacabana.

The Mass excited people in many ways and was very well-arranged! At the end

the cardinal president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, responsible for the

World Youth Day project  He advised the youth to entrust their programmes and future

to Jesus Christ.

In Rio the crowds have been getting thicker and thicker to the point of seeing the

police overwhelmed by the numbers that continue to arrive from all over the world

and especially from Latin America, an entire continent moved to full emotion on seeing

a Latin American Pope on their ground! This has started giving a real headache to the

security organs in particular as the crowds try to pour on the popemobile in an attempt to

lift the car!!! 

Today, Wednesday, the Pope will visit the Holy Marian Shrine of Aparecida where he will

again contact the crowds. While the youths will assemble in groups for catechesis and

a series of joyous festivities.

The numerous presence of Africans in Rio has brought to debate the possibility of giving

the Black Continent to organize the next World Youth Day. Top Church officials are said to

be busy studying the likely venue that will be acceptable to all serious actors.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo ( Paris / France )