Indian Youth Ambassadors of Pluralism, Peace and Harmony at WYD

August 2, 2011: More than a thousand young people from India, including 110 from Kerala and 240 of the archdiocese of Mumbai, will be "ambassadors" for India to World Youth Day in Madrid, August 16 to 21. While addressing them during a special Eucharist celebrated on Sunday in Mumbai, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, urged them to bring to Spain the "pluralistic rich heritage of India, where religious and cultural diversity are defended and celebrated, to ensure the harmonious coexistence between people of different beliefs and cultural horizons”.

In a country of "young people", he said, which is home to at least eight religions the sharing the values of cooperation, harmony, unity and tolerance are the key to achieving a new world order marked by peace. For this reason young people, according to the Cardinal, are "the greatest resource and greatest hope of India, whom we have taught to go beyond differences" and "appreciate the diversity of cultures, languages and religions."
At present 40% of the Indian population is in their 20’s and by 2020 the average age of Indians will be below 30. "India - said the archbishop - can be defined as the 'first daughter of the Church in Asia' (St. Thomas the Apostle, the first missionary of the East, evangelized India in 52 AD, ed), and today 18 million Catholics are proud witnesses of a rich and vibrant faith not only in India but throughout Asia.