Chinese youth make an appeal for WYD in Madrid

A group of young Catholics, some recently baptised, would like to participate in the meeting with Benedict XVI and the youth of the universal Church, but lack the money for the trip. AsiaNews urges its readers and other WYD participants to contribute about 10,000 Euros.

Rome (AsiaNews) – Fifteen young Chinese Catholics would like to participate in World Youth Day scheduled for 16-21 August in Madrid (Spain). Although they work and have saved some money, they cannot sustain the cost of travel and for this reason would like to ask other young people around the world for their help.
AsiaNews received the appeal yesterday, a day before the World Day of Prayer for China, which Benedict XVI has promoted to strengthen the faith and the unity of Chinese Catholics with the universal Church and the pope.
The desire to travel to Madrid for World Youth Day is similarly motivated. “These young people live their faith in a very closed environment,” their parish priest said. “Meeting other young people who share their spirit as well as the Holy Father would be a fundamental experience of communion with the Church and of its universality.” “Here we do not even have a church to meet,” said the priest, whose name has been withheld for security reason. “We only have a few places to pray in different parts of the city, which has four million people. Despite it, we have many faithful and many conversions each year. Owing to the difficult economic situation in this part of China, our people are materially poor, but are rich in faith and hope.”
“Among our faithful, many are young, from Christian families or recently baptised. Their courage and enthusiasm are the hope of our Church, the most important part, because they are the Church of the future.”
In order to develop their faith and communion with the pope and the Church, these young people would like to receive some financial help to go to Madrid.
“Even though they worked hard and saved money, they have only enough to pay for 60 per cent of their trip. They need another 10,000 Euros to cover everything.” AsiaNews has decided to heed their appeal, by making it available to all its readers. Let us help the Church in China to reinforce its relationship with the pope and the universal Church, as Benedict XVI asked us.