(19 July 08 - RV) The so-called “Pilgrimage Walk” began at 5 o’clock on Saturday morning.
That’s when tens of thousands of young people started trickling across the
Sydney Harbour Bridge. By lunchtime the youthful flow had become an impenetrable flood. Their
goal was Randwick Racecourse, venue of the Evening Vigil with the Pope.
Their
purposewas to spend time with the Holy Father, enjoy the great entertainment,
dance, sing, yell until they were hoarse – and eventually even get some sleep before
Sunday morning’s closing Mass. In a word - it was one big party.
So when
almost 200,000 partying, singing, yelling young people fell absolutely silent during
the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the silence was truly deafening. It was
just one of the more moving moments (including the candle-lighting ritual) in an event
that allowed the Pope his second opportunity to address the youth directly, after
his arrival speech on Super-Holy-Thursday.
Benedict XVI took full advantage
of this opportunity: he greeted the festive crowd in different languages and spoke
to them at length about the Holy Spirit and what it means to be witnesses in a world
where individuals and communities often suffer from an absence of unity.
The
Holy Spirit – he said, quoting St Augustine – is the bond of unity within the Blessed
Trinity: unity as communion, love, and giving.
The Pope went on to explain
how communion sustains unity and fulfils human identity, how love is the sign of the
presence of the Holy Spirit, and how God gives Himself to us endlessly. “In view of
this ceaseless gift - he said – we come to see the folly of the consumerist mindset”.
This,
in essence, was the Pope’s message to his young audience: “Let unifying love be your
measure, abiding love your challenge, self-giving love your mission... In accepting
the power of the Holy Spirit you too can transform your families, communities and
nations”.
Judging by the applause, it was a challenge the youth appeared
to accept willingly. Meanwhile, as the Pope left the venue to return to St Mary’s
Cathedral where he is staying, a few of the young people crawled wearily into their
sleeping bags. Most of the others went back to just having fun.
The long
night at the racecourse was only just beginning.