<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Palatino Linotype" LANG="0">Hello you all,<BR>
A pilgrimage by 50,000 young European people has been called "the most important pilgrimage to Santiago this Holy Year".<BR>
Fr. Roberto Martinez, the delegate from the Archdiocese in charge of organizing the mega-pilgrimage, has commenced the preparations to receive the young people in Santiago on August 8th.<BR>
The young people will be coming from several points in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Lithuania, Letonia (?), Estoia (?), the Check Republic, Eslovakia (?) Holland, Austria, the Ukraine and other European countries.<BR>
The pilgrimage was organized by the Santiago Archbishop, Msgr. Julian Barrio, and the Spanish Episcopal Conference together with the Compostela Jubilee Year Commission and the Galician Xunta.<BR>
Fr.Martinez informs that representatives of the new Spanish government and the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, will attend.<BR>
Everyone knows the fondness of the Pope for young people. You may remember that at the Pope's Youth Meeting in Paris eight years ago the Parisian authorities were caught quite by surprise when nearly a million young people showed up. In the year 2,000 the authorities in Rome were well prepared to receive the million and a half young people who attended the Pope's Youth Forum in that city, (they slept at the Coliseum, in the parks, in Saint Peter's Square, etc., and were fed by the Roman citizens). Because of this history Fr. Martinez said that it would not be altogether unexpected if the Pope. despite his frail state of health, were to make an appearance. The Pope, as we all know, walked the Camino twice, first as a young and then as a middle-aged priest. As a Pope he has gone to Santiago, wherefrom the monument on Monte del Gozo.<BR>
Although 50,000 pilgrims alighting in a fairly small city such as Santiago may seem a daunting prospect, it appears that the organizers are well prepared.<BR>
The young pilgrims have a web page, <BR>
www.pej2004.org <BR>
which can be read in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Galician. <BR>
Reportedly they will walk the last three days, Aug.5-Aug.8, together.<BR>
While the other Youth Forums invited all to participate, and young people from several coun tries in America went both to Paris and to Rome I wonder why this pilgrimage is confined to Europeans. They must have a reason, however (perhaps the fact that they are working on a "European Constitution?). If I find out what the reason might be I'll let you know.<BR>
Warm regards,<BR>
Rosina</FONT></HTML>