'Seeing the pope was best part of whole trip'

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I was one of 110 pilgrims from the Green Bay Diocese who took part in World Youth Day in Toronto. The best part of the whole trip was getting to see Pope John Paul.

He arrived Thursday by helicopter and was driven through the crowd in his "popemobile." People shouted and cheered and sat on each other's shoulders to get a good look at him. It was like being in one of the crowds that came to see Jesus during his three years of ministry.

About 140 countries were represented by enthusiastic yelling and flags waved energetically. It was a powerful testimony to the universality of the church, to see people from Senegal and Dominica side by side with Germans, Japanese and Brazilians.

As if to emphasize the point, our catechesis sessions were done by a Canadian bishop, a Scottish bishop, and a Cardinal from Washington. It really is true that Jews and Greeks and every other kind of people have all become one in the Lord.

The Sunday Mass drew as much as a million people despite rain and mud at the site.

The pope was hunched over and had difficulty walking, but his speech was clear and strong. We could see that it was a sacrifice for him to attend the events, but we could also tell the great love he has for Jesus and for the youth of the church.

The young people responded with love for the Pope, frequently interrupting the event with chants of "John Paul II, we love you!" and also Spanish and Italian chants.

In his three addresses he told us that Jesus loves us and made us for happiness and that he is the way to find happiness. He told us to build on the foundation of Christ and warned us that pursuing happiness through money, power, or sex was merely an illusion.

He preached that we are the light of Christ and must dispel the darkness of sin, and he practically lived it as the rain clouds parted and the sun came out during his homily.

I think the Pope's appeal is his simplicity. He wants nothing more than to tell people about the God he has followed and the happiness he has found by following Jesus. Perhaps that is why the pope is loved so much by so many people around the world. He tells the truth with great love.

(Sember is a seminarian for the Green Bay Diocese from Sherwood.)