JOHN PAUL II TO YOUTH: "UNTIL WE MEET IN TORONTO!"

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2001 (VIS) - Today, Palm Sunday and the celebration of the 16th World Youth Day, the Pope presided in St. Peter's Square over a liturgical celebration in the presence of thousands of youth from all over the world.

Before the celebration of the Mass, at the central obelisk of St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father blessed palms and olive branches. This was followed by the Procession of Palms and the celebration of the Lord's Passion.

In his homily, John Paul II commented upon today's liturgy, with which Holy Week begins. "The Church, however," the Pope affirmed, "is not limited in reading the story of the Passion to consider only the sufferings of Jesus; one approaches this mystery both trembling and confident, knowing that the Lord is risen. The light of Easter reveals the great teaching contained in the Passion: life is affirmed through the sincere gift of self even to the point of death for others, for the Other.
"Jesus," the Pope continued, "did not intend his existence on earth as a search for power, as a way to success and career, as the desire to dominate over others. On the contrary, He renounced the privileges of his equality with God, assumed the condition of a servant becoming like men, and obeyed the Father's plan even to death on the cross."

The Pope went on to recall that Palm Sunday "has also become, for years now, World Youth Day, your Day, dearest youth." He added: "While we enter with faith into the new century and the new millennium, dear youth, the Pope repeats to you the words of the apostle Paul: 'If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him.' Because Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration and before the Angelus, a delegation of Italian youth, representing the host country of the last World Youth Day, passed the World Youth Day Cross to their Canadian peers, who in July of 2002 will participate in the next World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada.

Speaking in English to the Canadian youth, who were accompanied by Cardinal Matthew Ambrozic, archbishop of Toronto, the Holy Father said: "Fidelity to Christ, this is my invitation to all the English-speaking pilgrims. Until we meet in Toronto!".

HML;PALM SUNDAY;...;