Archbishop of Sydney

World Youth Day and the significance of the Catholic Church to young Australians

Address to the National Press Club, Canberra

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
Chairman of the World Youth Day 2008 Local Organising Committee
10/10/2007

Mr Randall and ladies and gentlemen, friends all. World Youth Day, as you know, will be celebrated in Sydney in next July from the 15th to the 20th. In the days immediately beforehand 50,000 young people will journey from Melbourne to Sydney, half of them probably from overseas. If they all travel by bus, separated by the regulation 150 metres, the convoy will stretch for 150 kilometres. If they edge together a bit up to nearly 100 metres apart, it will only stretch for 100 kilometres.

Perhaps the biggest peace time movement between our two biggest capitals. So already planning has begun to ensure that there's a sufficient number of food outlets and, of course, toilet facilities. Therefore next July about 140,000 young overseas pilgrims from more than 160 nations will pack their bags and make their way to Sydney. And these members are - the present numbers nine months beforehand who've registered through group registrations.

It will be the single biggest influx of visitors onto our shores for a single event, likely to bring an even number than came here for the Sydney Olympics. And they're not coming for a rock concert, they're not coming for a sporting context, they're coming as pilgrims as people have done so for thousands of years in all the great religious traditions, that is, tourists with a religious purpose.

They're coming here to join together with a similar number of young Australians to celebrate and deepen their Christian faith and we will offer the Catholic package to everyone. First of all to young Catholics but especially to young Australians, and there's a significant number of them, who are looking for a set of principles, looking for something, searching for meaning.....

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