WORLD YOUTH DAY; Catholic Youth Festival Sydney 2008

World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival held from 15 to 20 July in Sydney, Australia. It is the twenty-third World Youth Day celebration and was attended by Pope Benedict XVI. The occasion marked the fourth Papal visit to the country, as well as Benedict XVI's first visit.

On Thursday 17 July, 500,000[4] attendees from around the world were present at Barangaroo to welcome Pope Benedict XVI on a day dubbed Super Thursday by the press. The Pope actually arrived on...
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World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival held from 15 to 20 July in Sydney, Australia. It is the twenty-third World Youth Day celebration and was attended by Pope Benedict XVI. The occasion marked the fourth Papal visit to the country, as well as Benedict XVI's first visit.

On Thursday 17 July, 500,000[4] attendees from around the world were present at Barangaroo to welcome Pope Benedict XVI on a day dubbed Super Thursday by the press. The Pope actually arrived on Monday 14 July, but only appeared in public for the first time on the 17th. The event involved the Pope travelling around Port Jackson in a "boatacade" where pilgrims lined the shores to see him. However, there were many disappointed spectators in places like The Botanic Gardens and Circular Quay who did not actually see the Pope because of where he was sitting on the boat. The Pope then spoke extensively to the pilgrims and greeted them in five foreign languages. In order to let the pilgrims see him better the pope was driven around Barangaroo in his Popemobile. The Popemobile was however travelling too fast so some people could only get a brief glimpse of him as he went past.
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