Pilgrims are now pouring out of Madrid’s Cibeles Square, which packed in an estimated 500,000 pilgrims for the Opening Mass of World Youth Day. The Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, presided over the liturgy. Pilgrims were also welcomed by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, who heads the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Vatican body ...read more

Film screenings, events with actors, a soundtracks concert, and a world premiere Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17, Madrid’s “Calle Fuencarral” will be all decked out, red carpet included, to host a day of cinema, which World Youth Day (WYD) Madrid 2011 will offer to all the world’s young people. During the day, there will be a wide ...read more

At a recent press conference, Antonio Gallo, Director of Social Networks for WYD, presented various web-based initiatives that have been underway over the past two years. In fact, the presence of the Church on social networks has been strengthened by the interest shown by Benedict XVI himself. Gallo remarked that “a Pope who ‘Tweets’ relates ...read more

You can now visit the Madrid11 website and look for all the locations for the catechesis sessions. The catechesis sessions traditionally take place from the Wednesday to Friday of WYD. In Madrid they will be on Wednesday August 17th, Thursday August 18th, and Friday August 19th, at 10:00 am. Every day there will be a ...read more

Courtesy of the Jesuits in English Canada, S+L reprints the following reflection by J. Santiago Rodriguez, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic studying in Toronto. From July 27-31, Canadian Jesuits gathered in Midland, Ontario for the 2011 Jesuit Congress. They were joined this year by Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. ...read more

Families and young people will be the beneficiaries of the two social aid projects that will emerge from World Youth Day in Madrid, which starts on Tuesday. Madrid has been the chosen site for building a residential complex for families at risk of social exclusion. The building will have four floors and 127 homes that ...read more

Today, CNS Rome Correspondent Carol Glatz tells us about Pope Benedict XVI’s General Audience on the importance of finding times and places for silence, and about how silence naturally leads to prayer. ...read more

Courtesy of the Jesuits in English Canada, S+L reprints the following reflection by Gerard Ryan, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic and recently ordained deacon. From July 27-31, Canadian Jesuits gathered in Midland, Ontario for the 2011 Jesuit Congress. They were joined this year by Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. ...read more

Vatican and WYD launch an invitation system to get people to the event If the success of recent new social media networks is any indication, there is nothing more powerful than receiving an invitation to use a new product or attend an event. The Vatican figured that out, too. Through the Vatican’s social media website ...read more