Pope warns of 'spiritual desert'
Monday, 21 July 2008
The Pope has urged young people to stay away from the "spiritual desert" he says is spreading across the world, at the end of his trip to Australia, reports BBC.
Pope Benedict XVI told a crowd of about 200,000 people at the Catholic Church's World Youth Day event that they should build a new age free from greed.
The world "needs renewal", he said, and challenged the young pilgrims to be agents of change.
Earlier in the week, he apologised for abuse carried out by Catholic clergy.
The 81-year-old pontiff was at the centre of a spectacular finale to the Church's six-day-long youth festival, although the numbers attending Mass fell short of the 500,000-plus expected by organisers.
The Pope flew by helicopter over many thousands of pilgrims, many of whom had camped out in cold weather at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse in preparation for Sunday's events.
Pope Benedict XVI told a crowd of about 200,000 people at the Catholic Church's World Youth Day event that they should build a new age free from greed.
The world "needs renewal", he said, and challenged the young pilgrims to be agents of change.
Earlier in the week, he apologised for abuse carried out by Catholic clergy.
The 81-year-old pontiff was at the centre of a spectacular finale to the Church's six-day-long youth festival, although the numbers attending Mass fell short of the 500,000-plus expected by organisers.
The Pope flew by helicopter over many thousands of pilgrims, many of whom had camped out in cold weather at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse in preparation for Sunday's events.