All ye faithful ... 200,000 pilgrims have braved a chilly night to attend World Youth Day`s evening vigil, and have been thanked by the Pope for their `great faith`.Pictures | | Pilgrim protest |
POPE Benedict XVI warmed the hearts of over 200,000 Catholic pilgrims camping under the stars at a chilly Randwick racecourse tonight when he thanked God for the "great gift" of their faith.
Attending an evening vigil on the eve of his papal mass for an expected 500,000 people, Benedict XVI urged young people to hear the "concordant voice of humanity" through the dissonance and division of their world.
"From the forlorn child in a Darfur camp, or a troubled teenager, or an anxious parent in any suburb, or perhaps even now from the depth of your own heart, there emerges the same human cry for recognition, for belonging, for unity," he said.
"Who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to be immersed in communion, to be built up, to be led to truth?
"The holy spirit," he told pilgrims who were given candles, water, snacks and waterproof ponchos as they swarmed around a huge stage whose massive TVs gave the occasion a rock concert atmosphere.
"Tonight, gathered under the beauty of the night sky, our hearts and minds are filled with gratitude to God for the great gift of our Trinitarian faith," he said.
The 81-year-old pontiff ended his address with a comment of special significance for the Sisters of St Joseph praying for Blessed Mary MacKillop to become Australia`s first saint.
"I echo to you the words spoken by Blessed Mary MacKillop when she was just 26 years old," he said.
"`Believe in the whisperings of God to your heart.`"
"It`s touching, so many people of the same age praying together, when so many other people our age are into drugs, smoking or drinking," said Shane Govender, 16, from South Africa.
"With all these people here, we won`t even notice how cold it gets," said Neil Philander, 18, also from South Africa.
"We`re not here to sleep, we`re here to worship. We won`t be sleeping," said Loma Falekaono, 36, from Hawaii.
The first wave of young Catholics began the 9km walk from North Sydney in the pre-dawn cold, singing and praying on a three-hour trek reflecting their walk in Christ.
The pilgrimage was not spoiled by the hundreds of protesters who confronted them at one point, although one young man was detained by police after he charged a demonstrator wearing a "Pope Go Homo" T-shirt.
The protesters - led by a utility truck with an effigy of the Pope in the tray - won their right to "annoy" pilgrims when the Federal Court overturned a portion of NSW government`s WYD regulations this week.
Angered by the Pope`s stance against condoms, homosexuality and abortion, the NoToPope Coalition, including a devil, a drag queen and a pink alien, engaged in good-natured exchanges with pilgrims.
French pilgrim Jean Baptiste, 20, who`s been surviving on four hours sleep a night since WYD began, said the early start demonstrated pilgrims` commitment to their faith.
"That`s why we`re here today, to witness, to spread the word," Mr Baptiste said.
"I hope all young people who don`t believe in God will have something today that will trigger something in their brain."
Roads in the city centre and 25 suburbs were closed for the walk, while the harbour bridge was closed for just the third time in its history.
Brenda Schoeninger, 28, called home to Denver, Colorado at dawn to tell her family she was one of 13 pilgrims to carry the WYD Cross over the Sydney landmark.
"Even with 12 others it was really heavy and it made me realise how heavy it was for Jesus," she said.
"I think it helped me reflect on myself and my own faith."
They were greeted with bread and fruit as they arrived at the racecourse with cries of joy and relief, shedding loads of supplies for the vigil and sleep-out.
"Finally we`ve made it," Cook Islander Timwatbru Nubono, 19, from Raratonga said.
"The hardest thing was getting up in the cold this morning, but as we stepped into it, the Holy Spirit guided us."
They were warned to guard against hypothermia, with an overnight low of seven degrees Celsius expected for their sleep-out.
All ye faithful ... 200,000 pilgrims have braved a chilly night to attend World Youth Day`s evening vigil, and have been thanked by the Pope for their `great faith`.Pictures | | Pilgrim protest |
