DoubleBlue - St. Michael's College - University of Toronto

World Youth Day
10
World Youth Day 2002:
Key to the Survival of the Faith
By Ian Francke,
Religious Affairs Commissioner,
St. Michael’s College Student Union
20-28 July will forever live in the hearts and minds of
many young people, especially me. Above all the
reasons I could offer, the principal ones are spiritual
strengthening and hope. This is the second time I
have been blessed with the opportunity to see the
Supreme Pontiff; the first time was in Paris for
World Youth Day 1997. The excitement and enthusiasm
that I witnessed in France surely could not be
outdone in Canada. With tragedies such as that of
11 September, and the sex scandals in the Catholic
Church, it was clear to me just how disenchanted,
confused, and disappointed our society had become
in light of these events.
Certainly the news of sexual abuse in the Church did
not help to calm the fears of many who still suffered
from the terrifying sight of the World Trade Center in
rubble. During the difficult moments of that week,
many of my friends took comfort in the words of the
Church. But how could we place faith in our religion
when the people we trusted as guides led us
astray? Personally, I was tempted for a time to
accept the notion that my faith and Catholic upbringing
were nothing more than lies that I convinced
myself to believe.
Ian Francke (far right) with other World Youth Day participants
Yet, during the week of World Youth Day 2002, in
Toronto I saw a wondrous sight: 800,000 young people
from all over the world gathering at Downsview
Park amidst the sweltering heat and heavy rains.
The spectacle was overwhelming: a crowd of
800,000 to see a frail old man, pray with him and
celebrate the Eucharist with him. No sporting event
could ever surpass that attendance record. Could it
be that this single event would unite humanity in a
way that no other event could?
The Holy Father acknowledged the "weaknesses and
failings of some" in the Catholic Church and the
overwhelming sadness that this caused. Yet in a
rare display of emotion for someone suffering from
the deteriorating effects of Parkinson’s Disease, His
Holiness pointed out that we should never overlook
the majority of clergy, religious, and world leaders
whose only desire is to do good. He reminded us
that youth are the future of the Catholic Church and
the future is now; he warned us that if we lose hope
we lose the foundation of ourselves as human beings.
Unquestionably, there are changes that have to
occur, and, as a starting point, I think we have to
examine ourselves. No one lives a perfect life. We
all have our own ways of accomplishing things, our
own opinions and faults. If there are two main
things that the Pope’s message conveyed to me,
they are the concepts of unity and faith, which, at
least until World Youth Day 2002, appeared to have
tarnished a little.
Overall, the message was well received and my
doubts were put to rest. The 800,000
proved that their devotion had not weakened;
their presence made them stronger
and, as a cohesive assembly, they acknowledged
their willingness to help guide the
Church and aid its leaders.
World Youth Day 2002 strengthened my
resolve and touched my life. It is my sincere
hope that all of us will take what we
experienced and learned, incorporating it
into our lives. Through our renewed beliefs
may we bring others closer to us and to
Jesus.