(Vatican Radio) Copacabana beach was the place to be on Tuesday evening as thousands
of people flocked to the famed spot to be part of the Mass celebrating the opening
of World Youth Day. Our correspondent Seàn Patrick Lovett was there and sends this
report.
I braved the elements and walked six and a half kilometres all the
way down the beach to the Mass site. I know it’s six and a half kilometres because
there are giant hydrogen balloons floating in the air to tell you how far you have
to go. Then I walked back. That’s thirteen kilometres. I did it for you – because
I know you’d love to be where I am, to experience what I’m experiencing. And I’m so
grateful I did. Whatever you may or may not have seen on television – believe
me it was nothing compared to being there in person. The sights, the sounds, the smells,
the sheer old-fashioned excitement of it all: Woodstock (the music), the Olympics
(the flags), and a massive beach party (the surf), all rolled into one. And the young
people kept on coming: Brazilians mostly (they live here), closely followed by Argentinians
(we know why), and then…the rest of the world. Complete strangers stopping to ask
you where you are from, others turning to smile (sheepishly, when they’re the same
age you are – as if to say “It’s OK…we’re all young at heart”). Everyone wanting you
to take their picture. Everyone laughing, singing, dancing – even the occasional bishop
doing everything he could to be trendy while trying to keep the sand out of his sash.
Street vendors did a roaring trade, selling everything from caps to caipirinhas, from
banners to bananas. And the young people kept on coming (some of them later because
a portion of the metro broke down for a while). They filled the streets and covered
the beach, some even splashed about among the waves of the Atlantic. Then the ceremony
itself began – and suddenly it was show-time, with a precision and a pageantry worthy
of any Olympic opening ceremony. The WYD Cross arrived and I saw a young girl burst
into tears when she reached out to touch it – and couldn’t. I saw a disabled young
man being carried over the heads of the crowd like a rock-star – because his wheelchair
got stuck in the sand. Then the Mass began – and suddenly it was prayer-time, with
an attention and participation worthy of any open-air cathedral. I felt the specialness
of it all, the uniqueness of the moment, and the privilege of being able to be there.
Listen to Seàn Patrick Lovett's report