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Still with me? Okay, I warned ya. Forgive me, but I think WYD is a waste of time and money. Yes, I loved JPII and I revere his memory but honestly, how does getting a bunch of kids together on a grassy field to listen to pop music really help the Church? Are they hearing about sacrifice? Are they hearing about duty and honor? Are they being told to be real rebels, defy the world and live the Gospels?
From what I've seen WYD is mainly an excuse to tell kids how special and precious and wonderfully wonderful they are. Young Catholics don't need such an expensive excercise in narciscism. St. Maria Gorreti didn't have a pep rally, neither did St. Agnes, St. Bernadette, or St. Gemma. Frank Parater and Paul Murphy attained holiness without WYD too. Instead of a pat on the back St. Josephine Bakhita spent her youth suffering tortures that I don't even want to dwell on.
To the people say that WYD offers daily Mass and Adoration I say "so what?" You don't have to go to Australia for that. Jesus-- the sweet Lord Jesus, so patient, so loving, so merciful, awaits us in every tabernacle in the world. All you have to do is go to Him. Do you want an experience? Go to Mass. At the moment of transubstantiation it becomes heaven on earth. You can't beat that. Do you want beauty, do you long to be awed by the power of love? Do you want to swim in an ocean of grace? You don't need to go to Oz, all you need to do is spend 30 minutes on your knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament. There you'll find everything you need.
The next WYD is going to be in Australia, a country that despite having a pretty good bishop could use a major evagelization effort. The local muslims have invited young Catholics to visit their mosques while in there.
Instead of warning people not to set foot in a mosque the folks running WYD seem to think this is a great idea. Parents don't write a huge check so your kid can go to the other side of the world and then be preached at by an iman.