Today Madrid is “the capital of the world’s young people,” declared Pope Benedict XVI, soon after he arrived at Plaza de Cibeles. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at the Papal Welcome Ceremony cheered in agreement. The Pope also offered what could be interpreted as a response to those who have protested his visit. The Holy ...read more

World Youth Day pilgrims started pouring into Madrid last week, many taking part in the Days of the Diocese before the global event officially began on Tuesday. But one important pilgrim was still missing–Pope Benedict XVI. This morning at 6am ET (1pm local time), the papal plane touched down at the Madrid Barajas International Airport. Upon ...read more

A presentation was made of the scenes that will cover the Via Crucis (or Stations of the Cross) that will be  held Friday on the Paseo de Recoletos. The WYD Via Crucis will feature pasos (statues used in Spanish Holy Week processions) from 12 Spanish cities. Each of these images illustrates a Station of the ...read more

This afternoon Salt + Light brings you another WYD exclusive: a panel discussion on “Religious Freedom and the Media”. The event took place earlier today in Madrid at the Love and Life Site, which is being hosted by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life. The high-profile panel features Archbishop Charles Chaput, the ...read more

While this year’s World Youth Day is being hosted by Spain, Canadians held the distinction of holding the first official event. On Tuesday morning, a special national gathering was held at Palacio de Deportes, better known as the Love and Life Site. The prayer service, organized by Salt + Light’s Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, featured ...read more

If you’re watching any of our coverage of WYD, either on our digital cable network or at WYD Central, you will have undoubtedly seen WYD pilgrims with their WYD backpacks. All pilgrims receive a pack with their registration. The bag itself features the official WYD colours: red, yellow and orange. Wonder what’s in the pack? ...read more

The Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, preached the following homily at the Opening Mass of World Youth Day 2011. My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord 1. Welcome to Madrid for the XXVI World Youth Day announced by our Holy Father Benedict XVI in Sydney three years ago and today begins ...read more

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

In the last 24 hours here in Madrid, I have found myself in the middle of a swarm of Brazilian pilgrims, I got caught in an Italian traffic jam, had lunch with a group of young pilgrims from Ciudad Real, Spain a.k.a. “the land of Quixote,” as one pilgrim explained, and had my eardrums blasted ...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