Cardinal Dolan: WYD gives us a great sense of the Church Universal

(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York is in Rio de Janeiro to participate in World Youth Day .
He is among the 36 American bishops who serve as catechists for English-speaking groups during the week-long programme of events that culminate on Sunday 28^th July.
Speaking to Sean Patrick Lovett, Vatican Radio’s correspondent in Rio, Cardinal Dolan says he has attended every single World Youth Day except the very first one in Buenos Aires….

Listen Sean Patrick Lovett’s interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan…

“I love them!” – says Cardinal Dolan, and one of the reasons is “that you get to see everybody. You walk around and it’s a wonderful reunion”. He says it’s a great occasion of reunion for the Church Universal.

The first World Youth Day in Buenos Aires was in 1987, and although Cardinal Dolan says he did not attend that one, he has made every single other World Youth Day since.

What makes this one special he says is that it is Pope Francis’ first World Youth Day, and it is also his first Apostolic journey outside Italy. So – he says: “the eyes of the world are on him as they have been since March 13^th, but World Youth Day – and he’d be the first to say it – there’s a genius and there’s a spice to World Youth Day even apart from the Pope – there is a sense of cohesion in the faith of young people”.

Cardinal Dolan says the feedback he receives from the young people of his own Diocese, the Diocese of New York tells him that “one of the temptations today is to feel very isolated and alone in your faith. If they are in a college campus, if they’re working somewhere, they often say to themselves ‘does anybody share my values? Does anybody pray? does anybody do his or her best to live the Commandments and the Beatitudes? Is there anybody who is taking a life of virtue seriously?... I need company!” Cardinal Dolan says an event such as this one gives them company, and it shows them the diversity of the Church today.

Coming in contact with young people from countries in which there is persecution for example really gives them a different perspective.

“So it’s a great sense of the Church Universal….”