TO VOLUNTEERS: HELP PILGRIMS TO MEET CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, AUG 12, 2000 (VIS) - This morning on the patio of the apostolic palace of Castelgandolfo, John Paul II greeted various groups of pilgrims. Among them were Jubilee volunteers who had participated in a Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome.

The Pope addressed some remarks to the delegation of volunteers at Castelgandolfo and to 20,000 others who, gathered in St. Peter's Square, were able to hear his words over the radio: "May God reward you for the attention and commitment that you show in the service to which you have been called." Help pilgrims who come to World Youth Day, "through efficient organization, to encounter Christ and to make this international meeting an unforgettable ecclesial experience. Help them, furthermore, to experience the beauty of meeting together inspired by positive feelings, in order to lay the foundations of a new humanity, one inspired by the values of fraternity and peace.

"My deep appreciation," he continued, "goes out to the directors and employees of the firm 'Sodexho' that is overseeing the distribution of meals in the canteens that have been prepared for World Youth Day. Their efforts are even more praiseworthy because they are foregoing some days of holiday to remain at the disposition of participants in this extraordinary jubilee event, and because they are donating one hour of their pay to the Pope's charity."

The Pope also greeted representatives of the "Schonstatt-Frauenbund," who have come to Rome on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of their association. "Women's spiritual strength," said the Pope, "lies precisely in the fact that God has especially entrusted them with life. May awareness of this vocation remind you of the dignity that, as women, you have received from God."

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