Sydney chosen for WYD 2008

WHEN POPE Benedict XVI announced that the next World Youth Day would be held in Sydney, Australia, in 2008, young people from the Sydney Archdiocese were ready.
Gathered in front of the papal altar in Cologne, they revealed undershirts telling fellow youths to “Come to Australia!” To drive the point home, they jumped up in unison after the Pope made his announcement.
The Pope’s selection of Sydney has been an open secret for months — Cardinal George Pell is rumoured to have approached Mel Gibson, who directed The Passion of the Christ, to recreate the Stations of the Cross on Sydney’s streets but on Sunday it became official.
“It was awesome. A huge cheer went up, and people are definitely excited about this. Of course, it’s also going to be a lot of work,” said Nathan Galea, a 25-year-old youth minister from Sydney.
Cardinal Pell said that Pope Benedict has told him that he wants to travel to Sydney in 2008 “if providence permits”.
“I’m sure the Pope will come if his health holds up, and he’s travelling well now,” Cardinal Pell said after the closing World Youth Day Mass in Cologne.
“I’m not sure it’s absolutely essential (that the Pope be present), but it helps make it an enormously important event,” the cardinal said.