Pope John Paul II comes to Toronto to celebrate the Catholic faith with young people from all around the world.

Pope urges 800,000 to stay strong in faith, despite clergy sex abuse

By Carol Zimmermann
Catholic News Service

TORONTO (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II urged a rain-dampened crowd of 800,000 to remain strong in their faith and pleaded with them not to be "discouraged by the sins and failings" of clergy sex abuse.

"The harm done by some priests and religious to the young and vulnerable fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame," the pope said at the closing Mass of World Youth Day July 28.

In a strong voice the pope-- interrupted by cheers and applause from the youths -- asked Mass participants to "think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good." Noting that many of them were present at World Youth Day, he asked the youths to "be close to them and support them."

This was the first time in a public setting he had addressed the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in the United States and other countries over the past several months. Earlier this year, the pope had spoken on the issue in closed-door remarks later released by the Vatican and in the text of a letter to priests.

"We needed to hear this from him," said Barb Legere, a 40-year-old youth ministry coordinator who led a group from Spencerport, N.Y.

"To ignore it would be an awful thing. If you have something you're ashamed of in your family and the head of the family won't talk about it, it makes the shame bigger," she told Catholic News Service.

Her 17-year-old daughter, Rachael, agreed, saying it was important that the pope address the scandals.

"We hear so much about this on our news stations, and it's important for the pope to say he still supports the priests who are leading these groups here," she said.

During the pope's homily at the close of six days of World Youth Day activities, he took the opportunity to encourage those in the crowd who might be considering a vocation, telling them that "at difficult moments in the church's life, the pursuit of holiness becomes even more urgent."

Mass-goers who joined the World Youth Day pilgrims at Downsview Park, the former Canadian Air Force Base, filled the flat, open space as far as the eye could see. After the July 27 vigil service with the pope, pilgrims camped overnight on concrete runways and grassy areas that became completely soaked and muddy in the overnight and morning rain.

When the pope came through the park on his popemobile, pilgrims held aloft umbrellas along with their flags and let out resounding cheers. By the time Mass began, the rain stopped and the skies cleared. Before long, a hot sun beat down on the Mass-goers.

The pope told the pilgrims who had not only braved rain but sleep deprivation and some pretty long lines that the essence of the World Youth Day message was that they must decide between the "two voices competing for your souls," warning them that the "spirit of the world offers many false illusions and parodies of happiness."

"The greatest source of deception and the deepest source of unhappiness is the illusion of finding life by excluding God, of finding freedom by excluding moral truths and personal responsibility," he said.

The pontiff, who has continually urged young people to make a difference in the world, told them that the world they are inheriting "desperately needs a new sense of brotherhood and human solidarity."

"It is a world which needs to be touched and healed by the beauty of God's love. It needs witness to that love. It needs you to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world," he said.

He also acknowledged the mutual admiration between him and the crowd.

"You are young, and the pope is old," he told a crowd that interrupted him with cheers. He then departed from his prepared text which said, "and a bit tired," and instead quipped, "82 is not the same as 22 or 23."

"But he still fully identifies with your hopes and aspirations," he added, in a voice that seemed to continually get stronger. "Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young.

"Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it," he urged participants. "We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of our father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his son."

Before the huge crowd dispersed, the pope announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in 2005 in Cologne, Germany, and he urged the German youths to "keep alive the spirit of World Youth Day."

Many who attended the Mass said that being outside in the rain was worth it, just to see the Holy Father and to share their faith with so many other youths from around the world.

Sara Davidson, 16, of Wichita, Kan., had slept under a cardboard box and kept dry by covering it with trash bags.

"It's worth the wait. The pope is the 'awesomest,' holiest guy I've ever seen," she said as rain began to fall again right before Mass.

Paul Hutchings, 15, from the Diocese of Rochester, N.Y., said he had awakened in a flood.

"It was pouring in -- my whole sleeping bag was full of water. I'm drying out now," he said with a laugh as he stood in the rain.

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Contributing to this story was John Thavis.

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Copyright (c) 2002 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Used with permission.