JOY IS A CENTRAL ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE

Vatican City, 1 April 2012 (VIS) - At the end of this morning’s Mass for Palm Sunday, and before praying the Angelus, the Pope reminded the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square that today also marks World Youth Day (WYD) 2012. In this context he addressed a special greeting to the organisers of WYD Madrid 2011 and WYD Rio de Janeiro 2013, who were present at the celebration and who have recently participated in a congress in Rome.

"The theme of today's World Youth Day is St. Paul's appeal to 'rejoice in the Lord always'", Benedict XVI said. "The joy arising from the knowledge that God loves us is a central element of Christian experience. In a world often characterised by sadness and anguish, this is an important testimony of the beauty and reliability of the faith. Be joyful witnesses of Christ!"