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World Youth Day 2005

August 10, 2005

The world's largest gathering of Catholic youth takes place in Cologne in mid-August. DW-WORLD looks at the event and offers insight on the issues at stake when 800,000 Catholics meet to celebrate their religion.

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Pope Benedict XVIImage: AP

The 2005 World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, is an event of superlatives. With some 800,000 youths from more than 190 countries descending on the Rhine region for a week of prayer and religious festivities, the cities of Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf will be hard at work showing they are the perfect hosts.

Security will be at an all-time high as Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Germany for the first time since taking over the papal seat from his predecessor John Paul II. Police and intelligence officers will be doing everything they can to ensure safety in the crowds and ward off any possible attacks.

Described as the biggest high-profile international event to take place in the Rhine region in the last decades, the World Youth Day requires an immense amount of logistical planning covering everything from visa applications and accommodation for pilgrims to organizing volunteers, to ensuring protection of the environment.

Of course, the event also presents itself as a showcase for the Catholic Church and for the new pope in particular. All eyes will be on Germany's Benedict XVI, watching for signs of how he plans to lead the church on key controversial issues.

DW-WORLD will follow these events from the preparation stage to the opening and closing ceremonies, all the while providing insight on the main points of discussion. Additional dossiers on the new pope and Germany's religious environment help add context to the World Youth Day. And for those interested in exploring the rest of Germany, the travel section Visit Germany gives sightseeing tips to nearby destinations.

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Reports & Analysis

Germany Prepares for World Youth Day

The world's largest gathering of Catholic youth -- World Youth Day -- is taking place in Cologne, Germany in August 2005. Various projects and events are planned in the run-up to the festival celebrations.
July 17, 2005

Reformers Turn Up Heat on Church

Critics have been present at World Youth Day, bringing up issues such as the role of women, family planning and gay rights. There are signs that the gap between them and church leaders is narrowing.
August 19, 2005

Plenty of Rooms at the WYD Inn

Though it got off to a slow start, World Youth Day organizers found enough places for visitors to sleep. Most are staying in schools and people's homes, but a mosque, a farm and IKEA have all welcomed pilgrims.
August 15, 2005

German Visas for the Faithful

About 800,000 young Catholics are expected to attend World Youth Day in Cologne in August. Many require a visa to enter Germany: Foreign ministry officials have thought of a somewhat unusual way to prevent abuse.
June 6, 2005

Germany's Pope

Click here for DW-WORLD's dossier on Benedict XVI.
April 20, 2005

Pope Hopes Youth Day Will Boost Church

Benedict XVI hopes this week's World Youth Day in Cologne will renew the faith of European Christians, who are in a state of "self-accusation," he said in the first interview of his pontificate.
August 15, 2005

Cashing in on Christianity in Cologne

Come next week, the German city of Cologne will be bursting at the seams as it plays host to some 800,000 pilgrims in town for World Youth Day. Local businesses are rubbing their hands in anticipation.
August 10, 2005

Traditional Piety Rare Among German Youth

The Catholic World Youth Day, set to hit Cologne this week with a mammoth influx of devout adolescents, is a chance for German Catholics to show their faith to the world. But just how religious are German youth today?
August 14, 2005

Young Catholics Forge Own Path in Church

A lot of young Catholics find Rome out of touch with their world. Many of the young pilgrims in Cologne this week have found new ways of living their religion, which sometimes involve ignoring official church doctrine.
August 17, 2005

Catholics Conquer Cologne

Cologne's residents are used to dealing with crowds during Carnival, but now they expect some 800,000 visitors of a more spiritual nature as Catholic World Youth Day 2005 begins Tuesday.
August 16, 2005

World Youth Day Opens in Cologne

An estimated 400,000 young Catholics are expected to celebrate the opening of World Youth Day on Tuesday while eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI two days later.
August 16, 2005

Offering Pilgrims a Helping Held

Thousands of volunteers are busy preparing Cologne for World Youth Day, which begins Aug. 16. It's also a chance for them to get to know different approaches to Catholicism around the globe.
August 7, 2005
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