World Youth Day with Spanish flavour

(March 18, 2011) The World Youth Day in Madrid in August will have a Spanish flavour says the executive director of the event. Speaking at a briefing in the Vatican press office, Yago de la Cierva predicted that more than 1 million young people will participate in the event, which has the support of the government, the region and the municipality of Madrid. Although the budget will be "austere," De la Cierva said, the youth day will be marked by the "Spanish joy of the 'fiesta,' as it will be, in fact, a very Spanish event." The organizational team for the youth day also spoke at the meeting with journalists, reporting on various initiatives that are being carried out in preparation for this world meeting of young people with the Pope. One of the organizational aspects that is receiving the greatest attention is the use of technology and social networks, such as cell phones, iPads, notebooks, Facebook and YouTube both to follow the celebrations as well as for practical issues. More than 250,000 are said to have already registered at the official World Youth Day website (www.madrid11.com), which is available in 11 languages and has more than 1 million visits a month. The executive director noted that participants will be able to see "devotion permeated with religiosity and Spanish culture, as the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity also wished it to be."