Friday, August 12, 2005
Rigid screening marks youth day
COLOGNE—About 120,000 young Roman Catholics from across the world are starting to arrive in this western city in Germany ahead of the church’s World Youth Day (WYD), organizers said.
But as preparations for the event continued, controversy erupted over the German government’s refusal to issue visas to some pilgrims from the Philippines, Came-roon and Togo.
The foreign ministry insisted, though, that Germany was welcoming the pilgrims but was obliged to check visa requests to ensure that human traffickers did not take advantage of the WYD.
Priests, nuns
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Youth sent a total of 322 delegates, including priests and nuns, coming from different dioceses in the country.
However, three Ce-buano delegates under the Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) were among those denied visas and opted to no longer make an appeal with the German Embassy.
“We are happy about the small percentage of denied visas. It establishes or confirms the legitimacy of the group, the ECY Philippines,” a senior official of the CBCP commission told reporters.
The Cebuano delegation was cut down to 15 from 18 after the three youths received the letters from the embassy denying their visa applications.
Fr. Arthur Navales of the Cebu Archdiocese’s Commission on Youth headed the delegation together with 11 other priests, Provincial Board Member Victoria Corominas, Editha de la Vega and Vincent Paraiso, who were all recommended by their respective parishes.
Active youth
Duqueza Duque, collaborator for the Cebu delegation, said young people 16-40 who are single and active in their respective youth ministries were encouraged to apply for the WYD.
All names recommended by the parishes were sent to Fr. Navales for approval, after which the list was sent to Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
After the cardinal approved the names, he sent the list to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines for final approval of the ECY.
Of the 400,000 pilgrims expected in Cologne, around 2.5 percent will come from Africa, 3.5 percent from South America and three percent from Asia.
In all, about 35,000 of those attending will come from countries whose nationals require visas to enter Germany.
Some pilgrims are invited by dioceses paying all or part of their expenses.
While waiting for the WYD to get under way, the young pilgrims will be accommodated by different parishes and will take part in events with their age cohorts.
In the aftermath of the July 7 London bombings, security will be tighter than usual. Manhole covers, including those near the palace where the pope will be staying, are to be sealed. (AFP)/LLV
(August 12, 2005 issue)
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