EUROPE/ITALY - Messages of love and sympathy for the Pope come from JP II’s young people “papaboys” all over the world: “We his “boys and girls”, are close to him, we love him, he belongs to us”

Rome (Fides Service) - Many spent the night in prayer, rosary beads in hand, in St Peter’s Square or at home. Others are connected to the Internet in search of the latest news and to acknowledge message of love and sympathy and prayers from every corner of the earth. These are the so-called “papaboys”, or JP II’s young people who feel they really belong to Pope John Paul II as faithful participants in the now famous World Youth Days and many other initiatives.
From the association’s web site in Rome www.papaboys.it they have launched a chain of prayer involving young people on all five continents “let’s pray for the Holy Father, rosary in hand, in spiritual union with Pope Karol, intimately united in the peace of heart which only Jesus Christ can give” they say.
“Join us dear friends to assure continual prayers for our beloved Pope. May Christ be with him step by step, instant by instant, and may Jesus fling open the doors for him, as the Pope has always urged us to do for Christ” is their message on the Internet.
And answers are pouring in from ‘his’ young people all over Europe, all over America: “We want to hug the Pope ideally”, say students in New York. Other young people in Mexico, Argentina and other South American countries send messages to express solidarity and pray the Pope will still make it to World Youth Day in Germany in August. “We are close to him, we love him, he belongs to us”, they say. “May God be with him always”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/4/2005 righe 18 parole 187)