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The Parish. The Nation. The World.
Thursday August ,
Western Australia’s Award-winning Catholic newspaper
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Is it Sydney 2008? Report claims Sydney is winner of World Youth Day ‘08 Archdiocese plays down claim, makes no official comment One of the top journalists in the world covering the Vatican has claimed that Sydney has already won the World Youth Day following Cologne to be held in 2008. This would make a visit to Australia by Pope Benedict XVI almost certain in 2008. John Allen, who writes a weekly column for the National Catholic Reporter newspaper in the US, says Cardinal George Pell’s “efforts have paid off - the next World Youth Day will indeed be held “down under” in Sydney,” Allen wrote in his weekly ‘Word From Rome’ column on Friday 29 July. However, when a report of Allen’s story appeared on the Australian CathNews website the Archdiocese of Sydney issued a press release the following day pointing out that there would be no official announcement made until Pope Benedict announces in Cologne where the next WYD will be. “Not until August 21 will we know whether WYD 2008 will be held in Sydney and Pope Benedict XVI will be coming to Australia to meet with the youth of the world,” said a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Sydney. And while the Archdiocese of Sydney was making no official comment other than its ‘wait-and-see’ line, Australian organisers estimated that approximately 2000-2500 young Australians will be travelling to Cologne later this month to Continued on Page 2
Cologne city braces itself for a youth invasion ■ By Michael Lawton
A policeman examines a manhole in front of the cathedral in Cologne, Germany. Police, fire and municipal workers are preparing to host hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and Pope Benedict XVI during World Youth Day in August. Photo: CNS
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Voc tions wareness INDEX
THAT BOY WIZARD
Bookshops around the world went crazy for 24 hours recently as JK Rowling produced another instalment in the Harry Potter saga. Hal Colebatch looks at Potter No.6.
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The city of Cologne is preparing for an invasion of hundreds of thousands of young people scheduled to attend World Youth Day and activities surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s visit. Stefan Neuhoff, head of the Cologne fire department, described the Pope’s August 18-21 visit as “the biggest planning challenge since the end of World War II.” By late July, just weeks before the start of the August 16-21 World Youth Day celebrations, organisers had received registrations from 370,000 young people from 160 countries, nearly 700 bishops, 8,000 priests and 5,100 journalists. During the international celebration, those people and more will have to be housed, fed, moved around, entertained and inspired. Before August. 16, about 120,000 of them will stay in German dioceses for a few days, sharing the life of Catholics throughout the country. Once they arrive in Cologne, many of the pilgrims will be housed in school halls and sports facilities, but people throughout the region have offered places in their homes to more than 89,000 of the young Continued on Vista 4
The week of August 7-14 is National Vocations Awareness Week. But while every vocation comes from God it also needs a response - from each one of us. And there is only one way to truly discern what your special calling is. Find out how to carry out the most important step in finding your own vocation... Vista 1-3
EMERGENCY: JUST DO IT - Page 6 - VISTA 4 - Pages 8&9 - Page 10
Caritas has launched an appeal which provides everyone with a way they can practically and concretely assist the starving people of Niger. It’s our duty.
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