| Young Indians In Cologne | |
|
At the WYD, groups of young Indians are meeting different cultures and traditions. A small non-Catholic delegation is also present as proof of peaceful multi-cultural coexistence. Cologne Aug 17, 2005 Indian youths are taking part in World Youth Day in Cologne "to directly experience the traditions of different peoples and to "show the vibrancy of the Catholic faith in our country." In an interview with AsiaNews, Fr Alwyn DSouza, executive secretary of the Youth Commission of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI) said: "The Commission is leading a 220-member delegation representing the 12 regions of the church in India and including regional representatives, priests and nuns. 11 August was Family Day and it was very interesting for us Indians to experience the traditions and the cultural diversity of different peoples." Fr D'Souza said the first official group, composed of 106 people, left India on 4 August while the second reached Germany on 7 August. According to Albert Romanto, the secretary of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM), the event is an opportunity to show the vibrancy of the Catholic faith in India. Many youths met up in New Delhi before heading for Cologne to rehearse ethnic and tribal dances and songs and to try on traditional costumes which they took to Germany to enable other participants to understand the colours and cultural variety of India. Mr K. John, one of the youths attending the WYD is 28 years old and he comes from the north-east diocese of Imphal. He prepared himself with much attention before leaving because the visit to Cologne is not merely a trip. "It should be a pilgrimage where I will have the chance to know myself better, to have an experience and thus to improve my contribution to the diocese where I come from." Catherine Geeta is 25 years and she comes from the diocese of Jalandhar in the north of the country. For her, the WYD is a great opportunity to meet people and to understand different cultures of the planet. Jennifer Fernandes, 24 years, is from Bombay. She says she is "curious and wanting to learn about the ways in which youths from around the whole world live their faith." There will be many Indian youths in Cologne who are not travelling with official groups. The Jesus Youth, a movement born in the province of Kerala has sent 150 youths to Germany. CC Manoj, organization spokesperson, said the youths have defined the trip as a "pilgrimage of faith" because on 21 August, after the WYD draws to a close, they will stop by in Rome, Lourdes and other places of pilgrimage in Europe. Not all Indian delegates are Catholic: a group of three women one Christian, one Hindu and the other Muslim have arrived from the western province of Gujarat. Fr Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit who runs a centre for human rights in India is the main sponsor of this modest delegation. "An exclusively Christian presence would not be a proper representation of India. We want other nations to understand how even a multi-cultural co-existence like ours can be united and peaceful." On the night of 17 august, a group composed of 45 delegates from the Neo-Catechumen movement will leave India. Sheldon Miranda, one of the participants, has already taken part in the WYD in Manila, Paris and Rome. He said: When John Paul II died, I was devastated, for me his death was a personal loss. Since the election of Benedict XVI, I have a renewed desire to see him and hear him speak. I pray that he has the same charisma as his predecessor because I am already in awe of his intellectual prowess. Pope heads to his homeland to woo Catholic youth Pope Benedict faces a tall order as he embarks on the first foreign trip of his papacy on Thursday. He must charm excitable teenagers, bring restive Catholics back to the fold and boost relations with other faiths. Youngsters from almost 200 countries at the World Youth Day festival in Cologne are sure to give the 78-year-old a hearty reception, but curiousity is intense as to how much charisma he can muster on the giant stage where his predecessor excelled. Benedict is clearly not as comfortable with the limelight as Pope John Paul -- a former actor who relished a chance to bring a crowd of millions to its feet and often did so at the youth jamborees he launched in the 1980s. While Benedict has overcome some stage fright since his April election, leading cardinals have said he will not try to replicate John Paul's winning formula but find his own style. World Youth Day offers him a chance to do just that. Many of the participants are teenagers who know nothing of his past as a conservative theologian and see only his grandfatherly smile. "We are so excited to see the new Pope," said 17-year-old Andra Radute from Romania. "All I know about him is that he is German. We all loved John Paul but now it will be good to get to know Benedict." After touching down at noon, the German-born Pontiff will sail along the Rhine to Cologne's soaring Gothic cathedral. A drive through the city in the Popemobile will give him some crowd exposure before a giant closing mass on Sunday. Vatican watchers are looking for signals on how the Pope intends to keep Catholics faithful to the Church and the relations he intends to forge with Jews, Protestants and Muslims, all of whom he will visit while in Germany. They will also be listening for how Benedict handles hot topics such as pre-marital sex or allowing the use of condoms to fight AIDS. The Pope opposes both but the young people who will cheer him here may not all agree. PREDECESSOR LOOMS LARGE Pope John Paul was 65 when he hosted his first World Youth Day, whereas Benedict is 78. Following the pattern set by John Paul, the Pontiff will hold meetings with young people and celebrate an open-air mass before returning to Rome. In the square outside Cologne Cathedral a huge poster shows a smiling new Pope beckoning his young flock. However, round the corner hangs an even larger image of John Paul -- a mosaic composed of thousands of passport photos. Organizers said there would be no extra security for the Pope after the fatal stabbing in France on Tuesday of Brother Roger, founder of the Taize monastic community and one of the 20th century's leading ecumenical figures. "I don't know how we could make security any tighter," said Father Heiner Koch, secretary general of World Youth Day. Up to 4,000 police will guard the Pope and the thousands of pilgrims streaming into Cologne for his four-day visit. The armies of young Catholics had caused unforeseen problems because they sometimes blocked whole streets they were not expected to use, city traffic official Franz Wolf Ramien said. "They are more mobile, more fit and more merry than we expected," he told journalists. Related News Youth Contingent To Meet The Pope In Germany AsiaNews/ Reuters | |
(courtesy: www.mangalorean.com)
|
|
Why Mangalorean.com ? This site is developed by the mangaloreans located in the United States, for the fellow-mangaloreans Around The World. We have designed the wide range of columns such as Marriages, Konkani Zone, Ekata etc. keeping in mind for the best usability and easy to use interface and for the best need of the community. We encourage you to Sign up today, spread the word and get our fellow mangaloreans to build one strong community. Who Runs Mangalorean.com ? Mangalorean.com is run by a group of young mangalorean professionals living in different parts of the United States. The internet allows us virtual offices and this variety gives us a fresh perspective on the site content delivery as well as understanding the local mangalorean scenario in different countries around the world. We are committed to the growth and evolution of mangalorean.com. |
| If you have any questions and suggestions, Please feel free to Contact us |
This first of its kind Gulf-Goans e-newsletter is dedicated to Goans around the Globe. http://www.goa-world.com/ Team, moderated by Almeida Gaspar since 1994, and presented by Ulysses Menezes, owner of http://www.goa-world.com website. Any and all postings from Goans are welcomed - be it a Goan business enterprise, a Goan event/programme of cultural heritage, or of a personal nature. Thanks for the support to Goa and Goans.
Support the less fortunate: http://www.goa-world.com/goa/smtmem/
Upcoming Shows in Kuwait:
Navelim Youth Centre-Kuwait will hold their traditional grand gala 'NYC Nite' on 1st September 2005 at Hotel Crowne Plaza starting 8.00 pm.
Comedian Philip's "TUM VHOIR AUM SOKOL" on 16th Sept. 2005. Remember it's P.V. Production's second musical show with talented guest artistes/singers/ musicians from Goa and London and a JUMBO cast from Kuwait.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
http://www.goa-world.com
http://www.live365.com/stations/61664 Live Konkani Music
http://www.mahableshwar.com/
Addresses:
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
URL to this page:
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/gulf-goans
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
- Visit your group "gulf-goans" on the web.
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
