Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - Participants are arriving in Hong Kong for the 4th Asian Youth Day. On Saturday 29 July assisted by 350 young volunteer helpers the young visitors will be introduced to Hong Kong culture in the different hosting districts of the city and in the afternoon take part in a meeting with all the participants together. On Sunday 30 July about 500 young people from 20 different Asian countries will attend a morning Mass and the afternoon opening ceremony for the 4th Asian Youth Day on the theme “Hope for Asian Families”.
According to information collected by Fides, at least 200 families in the 32 Catholic parishes of Hong Kong are hosting the young pilgrims for whom this is “an opportunity to become familiar with local family life and culture” - according to the organisers who say - “a home is a home, whether big or small, and a family can be composed only of parents, the important thing is the family spirit of unity and harmony”. The Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, confirmed his trust in Hong Kong’s families stressing the importance of the theme because “recently ‘family’ stands not so much for sweetness as for anxiety, because it is attacked by strong modern society currents”. He underlined that Asian Youth Day is an opportunity to re-launch the family and said: “Let us pray to the Lord that Asian Youth Day will be a time of many graces”.
The organising commission has prepared themes for the various activities: workshops, seminars, spectacles exhibitions, dialogue inter-religious and cultural. Despite logistic difficulties the organisers say the event is a “challenge and a grace”. A CD has been produced with AYD Hymn and other winning songs of a special AYD competition. The lyrics focus on the family calling on young people to be the salt of the earth to build up the family. (Agenzia Fides 28/07/2006 Righe: 33 Parole: 364)
