‘I have that withdrawal feeling …’

World Youth Day is over, and, on the CNS World Youth Day blog, Anna Weaver of the Hawaii Catholic Herald has what seems like the perfect summation of what Sydney is like at this hour — quiet, lots of sore feet, some remorse that the end has been reached, but filled with a spirit that will now be taken around the globe by the scattering pilgrims. Read her complete post here, and be sure to check back for more posts in the next day or two as some of our other bloggers report in on their experiences.

And on our special World Youth Day page, you can read a great feature story by Dan McAloon on the scene at the all-night vigil, catch up on the pope’s words at this morning’s WYD closing Mass, and read our story on the pope’s apology for clergy sex abuse written by CNS Vatican correspondent Cindy Wooden, who unlike most people writing about the apology was actually at the cathedral covering the Mass.

Pope says sorry to Australian victims of clerical sexual abuse

(Editor’s update: Full story here)

SYDNEY, Australia — During his homily at a Saturday Mass specifically for Australian bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and novices, Pope Benedict XVI apologized for instances of clerical sexual abuse.

Expanding on the apology in his prepared text, the pope said, “Indeed, I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them that as their pastor I, too, share in their suffering.”

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters the pope added the line in order to “personally underline” his feelings about the scandal.

Dedicating a new main altar in Sydney’s St. Mary’s Cathedral, the pope said he hoped the Mass would mark a moment of renewal for the entire church in Australia.

“Here I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country,” the pope said, before spontaneously adding the line above.

“These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation. They have caused great pain and have damaged the church’s witness,” he said.

“I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops, and to work together with them in combating this evil. Victims should receive compassion and care, and those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice,” the pope said.

“It is an urgent priority to promote a safer and more wholesome environment, especially for young people. In these days marked by the celebration of World Youth Day, we are reminded of how precious a treasure has been entrusted to us in our young people,” he said.

“As the church in Australia continues, in the spirit of the Gospel, to address effectively this serious pastoral challenge, I join you in praying that this time of purification will bring about healing, reconciliation and ever greater fidelity to the moral demands of the Gospel,” Pope Benedict said.

Friday’s WYD summary

Here are today’s highlights over at the CNS World Youth Day blog and on the CNS homepage for WYD stories:

Simon of Cyrene is depicted as an Aboriginal man manacled to other Aborigines. (CNS/Paul Haring)

– I’ve probably learned more this week about the history of Aborigines in Australia than in my entire life thanks to the emphasis being given to it by the organizers of World Youth Day. Today was no exception with the Stations of the Cross staged in Sydney.

If you’re not familiar with World Youth Day tradition, Friday Stations of the Cross always have been an important part of the program, and as today’s story by Dan McAloon shows, this years stations’ enactment was filled with symbolism. He writes for instance that “a golden winter’s afternoon light turned to twilight and finally full darkness on the harbor as Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross.”

Our own Paul Haring captured some of the symbolism in pictures (right), covering the seventh station where Simon of Cyrene is ordered to take up Jesus’ cross.

Cervantes

– Today’s other highlight was the papal lunch with 12 lucky young adults from around the world, including Armando Cervantes, 27, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Orange, Calif. Among Cervantes’ gifts was a Mickey Mouse hat since Disneyland is in his diocese. Fortunately for the Vatican, and unfortunately for photo editors across the globe, the pope didn’t put it on.

– Over at our WYD blog, our writers are still talking about the papal arrival yesterday at Sydney Harbor. We mentioned earlier Kris Dmytrenko’s scoop, but there’s also a good essay there by Chris Valka, CSB, reminding us that the infectious joy that pervades Sydney this week comes from Jesus himself.

– Some of us are taking Saturday off, though you should follow the WYD blog all weekend (even though some of our bloggers are concerned that it will be difficult to post from the all-night vigil out at Royal Randwick Racecourse). But we’ll be back here on Sunday to sum up World Youth Day 2008.

Pope on Sudan: ‘The country I most want to visit’

Kris Dmytrenko, an associate producer at Salt + Light Television, Canada’s Catholic network and one of our bloggers over on the CNS World Youth Day blog, has a scoop of sorts. Click here to read his post from earlier today.

From Sydney, a great new book on the Mass

The Catholic Weekly in Sydney, Australia, has published a beautiful new commentary on the Mass.

“This Is the Mass,” by the liturgy office of the Archdiocese of Sydney, is worth the $40 (US$39) price for the photographs alone. It was shot during a Mass celebrated by Sydney Cardinal George Pell in the archdiocesan St. Mary’s Cathedral.

The 160-page coffee-table book gives a commentary on nearly every detail of the Mass, from the entrance procession to the recessional, and gives biblical and historical context to liturgical rites as simple as kissing the altar. The captions are quotes from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, and pullout quotes are from St. Augustine. As I read, it struck me that this would make a very nice gift, especially for someone new to the church.

At the end of the book, commentary by The Catholic Weekly managing editor Kerry Myers complements stunning shots of Sydney, host of World Youth Day.

The book is available for ordering at  http://www.catholicgiftshop.com.au/index.php?cat2=51&category=’THIS IS THE MASS’ BOOK.

‘Citizen journalism’ at World Youth Day

“Citizen journalism” is a new buzzword in the newspaper industry — and one many professional journalists are not too fond of – as the mainstream media struggle to find new methods to engage readers in the Internet age.

But it occured to me this morning that we have an interesting form of citizen journalism going on at World Youth Day. Within one hour earlier today over on the CNS World Youth Day blog, three of our bloggers had interesting up-close-and-personal reports on the arrival of Pope Benedict in Sydney Harbor – and all three had photos to share of the pope too.

First, Anna Weaver from the Hawaii Catholic Herald told her story about how she thought that her group would be too far away from the pope to get a good look at him, but then discovered that he would pass right by their spot. “This is far from an impartial journalist’s take on the papal arrival, but I am both a pilgrim and a reporter on this trip, and the pilgrim’s fever has a hold of me right now,” she wrote.

Only a minute or so later, Kris Dmytrenko of Salt + Light Television in Canada posted his own account of being on the papal boat in the harbor and speaking personally with the pope about, among other things, the International Eucharistic Congress last month in Quebec. He later stood next to Pope Benedict during the ride. “I’ll never forget his warmth and attention as he waved to pilgrims along the shores, his papal ring glimmered mere inches from my nose,” Kris wrote.

And then within the hour, Chris Valka, CSB, the Basilian seminarian who has been in Sydney for four months as a volunteer for the WYD organizing team, posted his own blog item (it’s a “must read”) on unexpectedly becoming master of ceremonies for the papal boat’s voyage through Sydney Harbor. “Did this just really happen???” is the way he fittingly headlined his post. “Even the Holy Father exclaimed “wow” as the boat rounded the coves filled to with thousands of people along the shoreline,” Chris recounted.

When we set out to find bloggers for our special WYD site, we specified that they had to be good writers, and all the ones we recruited have been top notch. Not bad for our first stab at citizen journalism.

Also blogging from WYD

Bill Howard, editor of the Colorado Catholic Herald in Colorado Springs, is in Sydney blogging away and writing news stories (like this) on World Youth Day. (We missed him in our previous posts here and here about Catholic press coverage and blogs on WYD.)

It’s quite the robust blog, with plenty of entries on activities of the Colorado Springs delegation to WYD. Bill notes that what makes the site a tad unique is that the group stopped in Seoul, South Korea, on its way to Sydney, so there are entries about that too (like this one on Korean Catholicism). Another unique thing I found on the blog is this item containing audio links on this morning’s WYD catechesis and Mass homily by Colorado Springs Bishop Michael J. Sheridan.

And if you want a close-up look at the official WYD backpack that’s been showing up all week in various photos from Sydney, check out this post.

Wednesday’s WYD summary

Here are today’s highlights over at the CNS World Youth Day blog and on the CNS homepage for WYD stories:

U.S. pilgrim Alex Lugar, 16, of Wexford, Pa., attends a World Youth Day catechesis session July 16 at Blessed John XXIII Parish in Stanhope Gardens, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Religious instruction has been a traditional part of the international gathering for Catholic young people. (CNS/Paul Haring)

– Catechesis sessions throughout the host city are always a big part of the World Youth Day tradition. One of our bloggers, Anna Weaver of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, has a blog post detailing one she attended yesterday, plus we had a story today on a session led by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, the former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican and currently Vatican ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League.

– Helping guide youths as they attempt to discern their vocations is also a big part of World Youth Day, so our other major story today from Sydney was on the vocations fair held this week in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. CNS Rome bureau reporter Cindy Wooden, who came to Sydney as part of the Vatican press corps on the papal plane, describes the event as both lively and serious.

– Speaking of vocations, one of our bloggers notes his own deep involvement in the vocations aspect of WYD. Chris Valka, CSB, wrote in a post yesterday that the Vocations Expo was a major responsibility of his while in Sydney. Make sure you go back and read his piece if you haven’t already because he talks about his own vocation arising from his attendance at World Youth Day in Denver in 1993 and how he is just weeks from his own final profession of vows with the Basilian Fathers and just months from his own ordination to the priesthood.

All this activity (check here and here for previous summaries) and the pope is just now beginning his official participation in Sydney, where it’s already Thursday morning. Until then …

Photos of ‘Sydney excitement’

(Cross-post from CNS World Youth Day blog)

To make yourself feel even closer to the events of World Youth Day, make sure you check out the slideshow on our World Youth Day 2008 page. Once you’re on the page at www.catholicnews.com/wyd/, look to the right and click the “CNS Photos — Sydney Excitement” to see some of the best images from WYD.

Come back often because we’ll be updating the slideshow up to and beyond the end of WYD activities.

UCA News on World Youth Day

In addition to the links provided here yesterday on additional material for World Youth Day, our friends at the Asian church news agency UCA News also have a special WYD page of their own. Currently at the top of the page is a story about how two Filipino youths used the proceeds from collecting empty plastic bottles to finance their trip to Sydney.