Pope asks for prayers for World Youth Day and Madrid trip

(August 15, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI asked everyone to spiritually accompany him with prayer on his trip to Madrid in a few days for World Youth Day. He was addressing the pilgrims present on Sunday at Castel Gandolfo for the mid-day Angelus. The Pope made the same request for prayer in almost all the languages with which he usually concludes his greetings to pilgrims: in French, English, Spanish, German. Only the Polish pilgrims had a special greeting, for the celebration of the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The World Youth Day is going to be held August 16 to 21 in Madrid. The first few days will see meetings and catechesis with young people from around the world. From 18 to 21 Pope Benedict XVI will attend, who will also meet with the leaders of the Spanish Church and civil society. The pope is particularly keen that young people participating in the WYD become witnesses of the faith to their friends and peers who do not believe. Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI commented on the Sunday Gospel that centres on the Canaanite woman who persistently begs Jesus to heal her daughter until Jesus answers. He told the audience present that we too are called to grow in faith, to reach out and to receive freely the gift of God. This is the journey that Jesus made his disciples, the Canaanite woman and men of all times and people, each of us, to take. Pope Benedict XVI concluded his discourse saying that we must nourish our faith every day, through listening to the Word of God, the celebration of the Sacraments, personal prayer and charity towards our neighbour. He invited the pilgrims to invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, whom we contemplate on Monday, in her glorious assumption into heaven, body and soul, help us to proclaim and witness with our lives the joy of having met the Lord.