Madrid, Spain, Jul 23, 2008 / 12:08 pm
The governor of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, has announced that the dates for World Youth Day 2011 will be August 15-21. She also assured the public that local officials would support the event and ensure it would be a success.
“I am sure Madrid will be ready to welcome the Pope as he deserves for the next World Youth Day, which will be held in the Spanish capital in 2011,” Aguirre said in response to the announcement.
She said she shared the sentiments of Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid, who said the event would “have important repercussions for the social, cultural and general life of Spain.”
Aguirre said she was “very happy” that Spain was chosen as the host city for the next World Youth Day and that “it will be a great opportunity for the young people of Madrid, whether they are Catholic or not, because the Pope is a worldwide authority.”