AUSTRALIA’S Catholic bishops have given the go-ahead for Sydney to submit a bid to host World Youth Day in 2007.
They voted to support the bid when they met for their twice yearly plenary meeting in Sydney from November 24-28.
Background information presented to the bishops indicated a World Youth Day in Sydney would be expected to attract as many as 150,000 young people, including 100,000 from overseas.
World Youth Day, usually held over six days, is for people aged 16-35 years and is held every two or three years.
Selina Hasham of Harvest Pilgrimages, who was a member of the committee that assessed the feasibility of Sydney hosting a World Youth Day, said gaining the support of the bishops was crucial before the bid went ahead, because ‘a Sydney World Youth Day would be an Australian World Youth Day’.
The proposal is to hold the event in July 2007, during the school holidays, with the timing aimed to maximise attendance of young people from the northern hemisphere.
A committee was formed in March to assess the feasibility of a Sydney bid, and the committee recommended Sydney archdiocese seek endorsement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
The committee already has received favourable feedback from the Federal and NSW governments, with both indicating their willingness to support the bid.
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney will oversee the preparation of the bid. The final decision will be made by the Pontifical Council for Laity in Rome.
The next World Youth Day will be held in Cologne, Germany in 2005.
