Cologne, Germany, Aug 21, 2005 / 22:00 pm
While in Cologne participating in World Youth Day, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuba, said the event is a chance for young people to encounter themselves and not just live the emotion of the moment.
In an interview with Catholic News Agency, the cardinal said, “There is no other world event like this one, and we have seen in each World Youth Day that catechesis is taken very seriously and that the people participate despite being tired.”
In contrast with other youth concerts, protests or parties, he said, at World Youth Day young people do not get lost in the crowd; rather, each one has a personal and profound experience and maintains his or her individuality.
Cardinal Rivera also noted, “We shouldn’t let the critics stop us. They never stopped John Paul II.”