NEWS RELEASES
TORONTO TO HOST WORLD YOUTH DAY IN 2002
August 20, 2000 (12:00 p.m. EDT) No. 204
TORONTO TO HOST WORLD YOUTH DAY IN 2002
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy has welcomed the announcement that
His Holiness Pope John Paul II has selected Toronto as the site of the 2002 World
Youth Day. The Pope announced his choice at the close of the 15th World Youth Day
today in Rome.
"His Holiness Pope John Paul II has greatly honoured Canada by selecting Toronto as
the site of the next gathering of Catholic young people from all over the world," said
Minister Axworthy. "These young pilgrims will be here demonstrating their faith and their
hope in the future. I am sure that all Canadians will be very pleased to welcome them."
The event, in which hundreds of thousands of young people will converge on Toronto in
late July 2002, will be sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. It
will be preceded by pastoral activities throughout Canada.
The first World Youth Day was organized in Rome in 1984 at the request of Pope
John Paul II. These great pastoral gatherings have also taken place in Buenos Aires
(1987), Santiago de Compostela (1989), Czestochowa (1991), Denver (1993), Manila
(1995) and Paris (1997).
World Youth Days are spiritual and cultural events in which Roman Catholic young
people the world over profess their faith and renew their ties with the Church. In the
spirit of ecumenism, they also invite youth of other religions to reaffirm their faith.
Dennis Mills, Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth, represented the Government
of Canada at this year's World Youth Day. Ontario Premier Mike Harris and Toronto
Mayor Mel Lastman also travelled to Rome for the event.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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