Two Australian bishops who accompanied pilgrims to World Youth Day 2011 in Spain reflect on the blessings and challenges of the event as they speak with PAUL DOBBYN
THE dust has well and truly settled from pilgrims marching in their millions through Cuatro Vientos airbase to attend the Pope’s Closing Mass for World Youth Day celebrations in Madrid last August.
Questions remain however about the event’s organisational problems – specifically the reputed thousands, including many Australians, who were turned away from the climactic Mass.
Now two Australian bishops who went to Spain – Bishop of Parramatta and co-ordinator of Australia’s World Youth Day 2008 Bishop Anthony Fisher and Bishop Joseph Oudeman, Auxiliary for Brisbane – have shared their experiences.
They spoke of highs and lows: from unforgettable public demonstrations of faith to hours spent in searing heat waiting for events to start.
That Rio de Janeiro’s World Youth Day celebrations have been fast-tracked to 2013 (the event is usually every three years but Brazil will hold its World Cup soccer tournament in the capital in 2014) adds some urgency to their discussion. So do the enormous numbers predicted – upwards of 4 million, given the event’s Latin American location.
Bishop Oudeman, spiritual leader of a group of pilgrims from the archdiocese to Spain, saw first hand the impact of poor planning in Madrid.
On August 21, the bishop held what he describes as “a Mass of healing” at a university college in Madrid for Queensland pilgrims turned away from Cuatro Vientos Airfield.
The experience led him to question the wisdom of staging Masses of this size and to wonder “whether such sheer numbers might be in danger of demeaning the sacrifice of the Mass”.
Bishop Fisher, on the other hand, noted “a small Mass can ‘demean’ the Mass as much as any big one”.
“In many ways we are far more at risk from Masses that are demoralising because of the paucity of congregation than we are at risk of Masses being so large that the exuberance gets out of hand,” he said.
“So many young people testify that the WYD Masses are wonderful experiences of Christ and His universal Church and the size is actually part of all that.”
In Madrid in August, Bishop Fisher was upbeat about how the event was unfolding.
He also had some very positive words about the impact of WYD08 on young Catholics in his diocese and further afield.
“Spain has already brought to World Youth Day its rich Catholic history and culture, its heat and hospitality,” he said.
“An obvious impact of WYD08 is in the numbers going to the latest World Youth Day event in Spain.
“My own diocese had only ever sent a few dozen to WYDs in the past; this time we have a few hundred.
“Parishes, schools and families generously got behind the young people who wanted to go.
“Australia’s numbers have climbed from something over a thousand at the last overseas WYD to over three thousand this time.”
Back home the impact of WYD08 has been equally discernible.
“Before WYD we had around 20 struggling youth groups and movements in my diocese of Parramatta; now we have over 80 such groups and some have hundreds of members,” Bishop Fisher said.
“‘Theology on Tap’ is one example: in a pub only a short distance from my cathedral up to 700 young people gather each month to socialise and to discuss a theological topic.
“Such things are happening all around our country.”
Then there’s the impact on the wider community.
“WYD did something important for faith/Church in the Australian public square,” he said.
“For all the negativity in the lead-up to WYD, when the young people arrived with their beloved Pope the streets were filled with joy and faith and youthful hope.
“It was irresistible. The same has been happening in Madrid.”
Bishop Oudeman is equally positive about the potential of World Youth Day but warns the need for improved organisation given the millions of pilgrims attending.
“It’s a marvellous event, one full of hope … it has so much potential,” he said.
“This being the case, things should be done as well as possible.
“It’s a great public witness – a hope-filled look to the future.
“Pilgrims have this wonderful chance to grow in the knowledge of the faith, its sacraments and its devotions.
“I found the pilgrims to be always asking questions about the faith, even very simple ones.”
The bishop was speaking from experience when he added “because World Youth Day is so big, organisers need to be very hands-on in their approach”.
Anyone attending the event in Madrid or hearing reports later will understand the bishop’s emphasis on organisation.
Bishop Oudeman chose not to attend the Pope’s Closing Mass in order to minister to Queensland pilgrims unable to get into Cuatro Vientos.
After trekking many kilometres in Madrid’s blazing aft
ernoon heat to attend the Vigil Mass on August 20, they were blocked by scores of police at all entrances to the airfield and were forced to return back to their accommodation.
On the morning of the Closing Mass, the bishop celebrated a Mass with about 70 disappointed pilgrims.
It was a Mass still talked about for the healing power it carried.
Deanery projects officer in Brisbane West Deanery Michael Doherty referred to the Mass in a recent talk given at a WYD11 reunion at All Hallows’ School, Brisbane.
“I do not know what Bishop Joe and the Holy Spirit conspired that morning in Madrid, but from all accounts it was simply amazing …,” he said.
“Somehow that simple Eucharist celebrated at the university matched the magnificence and majesty of the Pope, along with hundreds of bishops, thousands of priests, choirs and orchestras and millions of pilgrims.”
Bishop Oudeman said thousands of unregistered people were allowed into the airfield which meant those who had registered and paid for the trip couldn’t even get into the venue, much less receive Communion.
“It’s hard to know where to put the blame,” he said.
“I would advise that World Youth Days need a supreme or pontifical committee to oversee organisation as the event continues to grow.
“If such large celebrations are to continue, organisers must learn from what’s happened in Madrid.”
Bishop Fisher, speaking from his perspective as co-ordinator for WYD08 and Australian pilgrim co-ordinator for WYD11, agreed there had been organisational problems in Madrid.
“Sadly the Spaniards had a venue that was too small for at least a third of the would-be attendees,” he said.
“That meant many Australians did not get in … apparently many people were admitted who were not registered or who registered only at the last minute.
“That was most unfortunate although, of course, pilgrims know that not everything goes right on pilgrimage.”
Looking ahead to Brazil WYD13, he is hopeful lessons have been learnt from the Spanish experience.
“I do hope that the Brazilians and the Vatican can restore confidence in those who were disappointed by being excluded from the main events in Madrid,” Bishop Fisher said.
“The Brazilians had observer teams at both Sydney and Madrid’s WYDs and they demonstrated a great willingness to learn all they can from what worked, and what didn’t, at both.
“Besides which, young people are often far more forgiving of organisational glitches than we older planning types.
“WYD has a grace and power that prevails despite any organisational failures.”
