(September 6, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI made use of his weekly midday 'Angelus' prayer
to explain the importance of his message for next year’s World Youth Day that the
Vatican released on Friday. Sunday morning, the Holy Father was on a short visit to
Pope Leo Pope XIII’s birthplace, Carpineto Romano, on the occasion of his 200th birth
anniversary this year. The German pope flew back on a helicopter to the summer papal
summer residence of Castelgandolfo for the midday 'Angelus' prayer with the faithful
gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence. WYD 2011, scheduled from August
16-21 in Madrid, Spain, has as its theme, “Rooted and founded in Christ, firm in faith.”
The German Pope admitted that the theme taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Collossians
is “definitely a proposal that swims against the tide,” as nowadays it is uncertainty,
mobility and fickleness that are celebrated … and reflect a culture which is undecided
about the basic values, the principles that should steer and rule one’s life. The
Pope said that in his WYD message he wanted to propose again the message that, in
Biblical style, suggests the images of the tree and the house, which need firm roots
and foundation respectively. This root and foundation is “in Christ” and “in faith,
he said, pointing out that a relationship of deep confidence, of true friendship with
Jesus can give a young person what he needs to appropriately deal with life: namely,
peace of mind and inner light, a bent for thinking positively, generosity towards
other people and readiness to suffer for goodness, justice and truth.