World Youth Day experiences in Spain can be shared on website

Young Filipinos unable to travel to Spain for the World Youth Day from August 16 to 21 can still be part of the event, at least vicariously via a website the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) set up. “Every single young person is invited to participate in the WYD spiritually and in many ways that they can. With www.wydpinoy.com, there is a virtual opportunity that they can grab to practically and actually participate in the event," CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Youth (ECY) chairman and Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said in an article posted late Friday on the CBCP news site. With the web portal, young Filipino Catholics can read articles, view real-time updates, hear podcast interviews of pilgrims sharing their experiences, watch videos and browse photos showing the Filipino participation in the WYD. “Use the internet. Tell your friends back home what is happening at the WYD. It is your responsibility to share the good news of that event to other people who are not present physically in Spain," Baylon appealed to those who will attend the WYD. Some Filipinos backed out of the WYD celebration for lack of funds. The ECY said each WYD delegate from the Philippines needs at least $1,800 or roughly P78,000 for a two-way ticket to Madrid. So far, some 400 Filipino pilgrims have passed the initial screening for delegates to the WYD, and are recognized as delegates under the official name "ECY-PHILIPPINES." At least 1,200 more belong to other groups, although Baylon said the number may be lower if more pilgrims back out. Filipino Catholics without access to the Internet can also ask their dioceses, parishes and organizations for the localized celebration of WYD. Baylon urged youth ministers to set up occasions in the grassroots to create awareness of WYD and activities to mimic the global event on the level that is closer to the youth. “This is where our youth ministry structures get into the picture. They can establish ways to increase awareness on the WYD, most especially starting from the first week of August until WYD culminates on August 21," he said. The ECY said its delegation will be the biggest at 387 registered pilgrims from Catholic schools nationwide and youth organizations from parishes and dioceses. "There are 71 groups aside from the ECY-Philippines delegation that also registered for the event. The 71 groups account for at least 1,581 pilgrims who processed their Schengen Visa applications, with the required endorsement from ECY, through the Consulate of Spain in Makati City," the CBCP said. The Neo-Catechumenal Way Philippines has 300 registered pilgrims coming from their organization. ECY Executive Secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said their pilgrim figures are not reflective of the total number of Filipino participants at the WYD. “The ECY cannot account for all WYD pilgrims coming from the Philippines. We can only account for those pilgrims that registered under our delegation and those belong to other groups that sought our endorsement as a requirement for Schengen Visa application at the Consulate of Spain," he said. Filipino young professionals and lay missionaries currently based in Europe who will attend the WYD are not counted in ECY tally. Meanwhile, the CBCP cited figures from www.madrid11.com, the official website of the WYD organizers in Madrid, has at least 3,417 Filipino pilgrims registered as of July 28. Some 420,508 pilgrims from all over the world signed up. Italy, Spain, France and the USA topped the list of countries sending the biggest delegations. — ELR, GMA News