The Real United Nations

It struck me while watching coverage of World Youth Day in Cologne that, as you look out over the vast crowd with flags flying from virtually every country on Earth, you are seeing the real United Nations. The Catholic church is truly catholic.
For the most part the United Nations that we all know from the newspapers is a group of mutually suspicious, grudging, scheming members united mainly in their desire to get a larger piece of the pie. They are united in the same way that hyenas are united around a carcass.

By contrast World Youth Day shows us a gathering of people who come together spontaneously, joyfully, with no greater desire than to demonstrate their love for Christ by showing love for one another. It is easy to sense, even through the satellite feed, that they are united in their love for their Papa and the One he represents.

I’m sure there are large numbers of people around the globe that find the scene somewhat alarming. Some of them call themselves Catholics. A Lifesite article relates that
Hans Kung has complained that World Youth Day is “triumphalistic”. To such people WYD is mysterious, and therefore dangerous.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (Jn. 3:8).

God bless everyone at World Youth Day, and long live Papa Ratzi!

Brent Alexis

I think that if you all were to read Kung you would see that his statements are a little more than the rantings of a lunatic. Most of his arguments are based on history and if you were to contextualize his statement on World Youth Day I think that it would make a whole lot more sense.

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Bill Quinnan

BillyHW wrote:
Last time I went to an Anglican book store I noticed the "Catholic" section had like one copy of the Catechism and whole rack full books by Hans Kung and other assorted garbage.
The sad thing is that you'll find almost the same thing at the Paulist Press Bookcenter in my area.

charles R. Williams

The Catholic faith is the true multiculturalism.

Julia

I say forget the grumblers, they can't stop it! It brings tears to my eyes to see my generation streaching thier hands out to touch the robe of an old man from Rome that we all hardly know, it is evident that the youth LOVE the Holy Father. To have that many people all in one spot that BELIEVE in One God, HOPE in One God and LIVE in One God is truely amazing. I wish I was there. Truely we are the "John Paul II generation". Im sure he is looking down on us, pleased with his youth.

Steve

"The incredible success of World Youth Day – which in Manila in 1995 drew the largest crowd of human beings ever recorded – has infuriated Catholic dissidents such as Francis Kissling and Kung."
That *alone* is enough incentive to promote WYD.

BillyHW

Funny story:
Last time I went to an Anglican book store I noticed the "Catholic" section had like one copy of the Catechism and whole rack full books by Hans Kung and other assorted garbage.

Mia Storm

"What's this guy's problem?"
Of course, it may also be that he's not entirely pleased that his former protege is now Pope while he is still just a professor (who had his license to teach Catholic theology stripped from him, on top of that).
Yes, that is kind of nasty to say so, but Kung has always struck me as the sour-grapes type.

John Henry

What's this guy's problem?
He got his feelings hurt sometime in the late 70's/early 80's.

A Lifesite article relates that Hans Kung has complained that World Youth Day is “triumphalistic”.
What's this guy's problem?

"Triumphalistic" is right. The triumph of youth, vitality and orthodoxy over age, boredom and decay is not yet complete, but well underway. May such "triumphalism" continue to...well...triumph.

The Real United Nations

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