Why it is now time for the Bishop's & CYMFED to bring World Youth Day to the UK!

Why it is now time for the Bishop's & CYMFED to bring World Youth Day to the UK!

Catholic Herald's article supporting WYD-UK

 

CatholicYouthWork.com's article discussing WYD-UK

 

The latest Catholic Herald article highlighting WYD-UK

 

Another updated CatholicYouthWork.com Article highlighting WYD-UK

1. The presence of 2 million faith filled young people in London will be the largest witness to Jesus Christ Britain has ever seen.

2. Evangelisation in Britain is on the verge of extinction within the Catholic Church (harsh but true). We also need to remember that the one place where evangelisation is alive and well is in the protestant evangelical churches.  WYD-UK is the defibrillator that UK Catholic evangelisation needs. In fact it may in fact be the ONLY solution to the problem.

3. Leading on from the last point, leaders within the UK Catholic Church talk about the 'New Evangelisation'. With the exception of a few organisation such as Youth 2000, it as never really taken off (in fact very few Catholics actually know what it is). It is ironic that it is the evangelical and pentecostal churches that have fully understood the 'New Evangelisation' and utilised it to the nth degree. You only have to look at Soul Survivor to see that the Catholic Church is running to catch up. They have taken an idea thought up by JPII and beaten us at our own game. I state once again, WYD-UK is the defibrillator that UK Catholic evangelisation needs. In fact it may in fact be the ONLY solution to the problem.

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4. The years running up to WYD-UK will be an opportunity to galvanise our Catholic Church at grass roots level all the way up to the top. However, it is imperative that we now run with the Bishop's five year mission focusing on evangelisation & witness. There needs to be more public witnesses to Christ. It has even been suggested that we invite missionaries from the newly Catholicised countries in Africa and Asia to re-evangelise the secular West because we have forgotten how to. This Bishop's five year mission leading up to WYD and beyond is imperative to any future success.

5. Britain is the only major western world country never to have hosted a WYD. Embarrassing isn't it?

6. In deciding the location of a WYD the Pontifical Council for Laity look for where renewal is needed in the Church and renewal is definitely required in Britain. Baring in mind that we are the only major western country never to hold WYD there is little chance that the PCL would turn down the request. I would also be very surprised if Michelle Moran, our present UK representative and founder of the Zion Catholic Community, did not fully endorse putting this forward to the PCL.

7. There is another serious factor here which must not be overlooked. Pope Benedict has personally placed the renewal of Catholicism in England at the heart of his pontificate. If you think I am exaggerating then let us look at the facts. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham as been  overseen by Benedict at every turn. As well as this it is unusual for a Pope to preside over a beatification. However, it as been stated many times that Pope Benedict personally wanted to celebrate the beatification Mass of Cardinal John Henry Newman (who Fr. Lombardy has already stated will become a Doctor of the Church after his canonisation). I believe the conversion of England is very much in Pope Benedict's plans and in light of his actions so far one would assume that WYD-UK would be a more than an acceptable proposition to him.

8. Do not let anyone tell you that it will be too expensive. Many poorer countries have held WYD.

9. Do not let anyone tell you that we can't afford it because of the expense of the 2010 UK Papal Visit. That will be paid off by next Easter.

10. Do not let anyone tell you we can't afford it because of the recession. We are looking at 2019 at the earliest before we can host WYD (though possibly earlier).

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11. Even the Catholic Youth Work website  has now said in their own words regarding WYD-UK, that 2019 is "Timing, which might be about right for us..." (see link)! This is a back down from a web site that has consistantly played down the idea of WYD-UK in the near future. I do want to be fair and also state that this web-site has also said that a better youth work infra-structure will have to be put in place first.

12. WYD-UK is a massive opportunity for all UK Catholics to commit to pray for the Conversion of England once again (let alone those with a devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham). Part of this five year mission should be to start praying the Prayer for England, after Mass again, like we used to. 

13. I have been informed by one person reasonably high up in UK youth ministry that the Bishop's initiative would lead us to the point where WYD-UK would be a probable and natural outcome of the Bishop's five year mission. (Just to keep the catholicyouthwork.com site happy, this information did not come from them). It came from a separate source.

14. Just like Madrid, over a million people at WYD-UK would bring in a massive boost to our economy and probably just at the right time (and at no cost to the British tax payer).

Our Lady of Walsingham - Pray for World Youth Day to come to Britain as a witness to Christ and his Church.