{UAH} World Youth Day : Over 2 million youths cheer Pope at Copacabana

Pope Francis has had a very triumphant Thursday with heroic scenes 

of welcome throughout the day wherever he has been since morning.

He first visited Rio de Janeiro's City Hall where he was very warmly received by the

Mayor and his team, inb addition to the sports stars representing the entire Brazilian sports body.

The sports gurus donated a Brazilian Olympic sports jersey to the Pope before he moved to the

City Hall's balcony to receive the official symbolical keys of the City of Rio de Janeiro and to speak

to the thousands gathered in front of the imposing buliding. He blessed the Brazilian Olympics flags

each standing for a particular game event. Then he finally blessed the crowds.

The Rio City authorities have given their staff a four-days holiday to enable them participate in the events.

As the Pope continues his triumph bus-loads of pilgrims continue to pour in Rio grea numbers of faithful

from all over Brazil and the neighbouring Latin American countries. This has much contributed to the massive

crowds numbering millions that are now cheering the Pope throughout Rio!

The late morning visit to the poor slums of Varghina was equally moving and touching. The widely excited poor residents 

took the opportunity to garland the Pope with flowers before they gave him a delirious welcome characterized by deafening 

ululations and scenes that led to mobbing! The thousands of residents living in these makeshift residences were really

convinced that this Pope is for them and has them in his heart!  And they followed him wherever he moved. He donated a chalice

to the small chapel where most pray. The kids, in return, took the opportunity to give him a scarf bearing the insignia of 

San Lorenzo Football Club which the Pope has always supported. He kissed many kids including poor black children, and he

seemed to pay a special attention to all, a card which helped him to win the sympathy of the entire poor district which one day,

following confrontation with the security forces, lost 46 persons, all shot dead by soldiers! The Pope's quasi-maternal presence

was therefore seen as a real consolation! Many men and women, including some security personnel, were seen weeping!

To crown his visit to this slum the Pope was conducted to a nearby football stadium where he addressed a capacity crowd

numbering over 60,000. He told them he was very happy to be among them. He requested them to do away with violence and

assured them of the Church's and the Pope's concern for them!

Later in the afternoon he went to the City's main cathedral where he met the 20,000 pilgrims from his native Argentina. He said

Mass for them, and after he drove to the residence passing through packed streets where hundreds of thousands cheered him.

Late in the afternoon, was the mega event of the day : meeting the youths at Copacabana Beach. The weather wasn't all that

good but the enthusiasm was more than warm! From the residence up to the beach the Pope covered the distance amid 

unprecedented scenes of joy and exceptional excitement! Millions lined the streets and the last four kilometres to the venue

were covered in 50 minutes, as the security personnel battled with the ecstatic youths and others who were regularly mobbing

the popemobile which had difficulty in making its way through! About two million youths were still blocked in the street crowds

while a million other youths had already pitched camp at Copacabana Beach. When the popemobile arrived the Pope was greeted by the Archbishop of Rio who assured him of the enthusiasm of the assembled youths coming from 180 countries and also

from all over Brazil. The youth delegations danced before the Pope and marched past him holding their individual country flags.

In his speech the Pope thanked all youths for coming to Rio. He called for a minute of silence and prayer for a participant from Guiana who died in a bus accident on the way to Rio. He thanked the organizers, the Brazilian authorities, the Church leaders,

the laity in company, etc A youth from each continent read a message  addressed to the Holy Father, and in return the Pope

gave him / her a present. Various continent groups presented spectacles. In the end the Pope gave a small sermon asking the youth to put  faith in Christ in their hearts because Christ revolutionizes our being. He then gave a blessing and said farewell to all including a number of cardinals on the scene. 

Today Friday 26.07.2013 the youth will participate in the sacrament of reconciliation before assembling with the Pope for the

mid-day Angelus prayer. Then in the evening there will be the Stations of the Cross at Copacabana Beach.

They will also be advised to put more trust in the patrons chosen to guide the World Youth Day, who include,among other saints,

Congo Kinsasha's Blessed Isdore Bakanja, who was beatified as a martyr in 1980s by Pope John Paul II and is now widely

considered for canonization. It's a pleasure to have such a new African martyr proposed to Rio.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )