COUNCIL PUBLISHES PROGRAM FOR 12TH WORLD YOUTH DAY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 13, 1997 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Holy See office which organizes World Youth Days, has released a program of events scheduled for the 12th World Youth Day, which will take place in Paris, France, from August 19 to 24.

On Tuesday, August 19, at 6 p.m. on the Champ de Mars, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, archbishop of Paris, will celebrate the opening Mass of World Youth Day.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, August 20, 21 and 22, morning catecheses will be offered to the young people in various languages by cardinals and bishops from all parts of the world. The themes for these catecheses are, respectively: Searching for the Face of the Lord, Jesus Lives in His Word and Jesus Lives in the Eucharist.

The afternoons and evenings of those days will include a "Festival de la Jeunesse," times for prayer, spiritual formation, meetings, fraternal exchanges and cultural-historical knowledge of Paris, offered to all youth by the French Organizing Committee for the World Day and by various episcopal conferences, ecclesial associations, movements, communities and groups.

On Thursday, August 21, at 4:45 p.m. on the Champ de Mars the young people will welcome Pope John Paul.

On Friday, August 22, the only afternoon activity scheduled is a solemn Way of the Cross celebration.

Following the celebration of the "Pilgrim Mass" at lodging sites on Saturday, August 23, the pilgrimage, on foot, to Longchamp Race Track will take place. There the youth will meet the Holy Father, and at 8 p.m., the Pope and the young people will start a prayer vigil.

The closing Mass of the 12th World Youth Day will be celebrated by Pope John Paul at 9:30 a.m. at Longchamp Race Track on Sunday, August 24.
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