Facts For Life - A Canadian High School Students Pro-Life Newspaper

Pope John Paul II had extended the invitation to youth to come together to pray and worship; to listen to the ‘Words of Life’; to celebrate life. He set the focus on life with the opening words of his homily, drawing attention to the urgent words of Jesus: “…. as urgent as a call to choose between life and death, between truth and falsehood. The Lord spoke words of life that would echo forever in the hearts of his followers” (WYD 2002, Sunday July 28, 2002, Downsview Park, Toronto). He drew attention to the main reason why youth came together: “called to choose between two voices competing for your souls; the challenge of World Youth Day: to say in your hearts: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68)”. Jesus, the intimate friend of every young person, has the words of life” (op. cit. WYD 2002).

We witnessed a tremendous task force in action in both the preparatory stages and the final events, as well as in activities involving local events which were centered around the WYD Cross; in catechesis conducted in twenty-four languages by bishops; and in pilgrim gatherings of 5,000 -10,000 (with as many as 375,000 to 800,000 participants), from some 170 countries internationally. Over 600,000 participants celebrated in the Saturday night vigil. Over 40 cardinals, 500 bishops and 1300 priests celebrated Mass.

Pope John Paul II’s message to youth was dynamic: “Is it right to abandon life to the impulses of instinct, to short lived sensations or passing fads? …. be for the world the face of love…. build a civilization of love” (July 27, 2002, WYD Saturday Vigil).

We were informed that the costs of the WYD events were as much as $80 million dollars with a debt of $38 million. The sacrifices and efforts of committed organizations, volunteers, bishops, priests, laity of all ages, was remarkable and invigorating. Fr Tom Rosica and all the organizers and volunteers are to be commended for their outstanding efforts and commitments. As Pope John Paul II remarked to Jean Chretien about Canadians when he arrived at the airport: “Il sait porter la croix”, the words of our national anthem.

Certain events stand out in my recollection: the morality pageant at the Civic Centre in Ottawa depicting the problems and solutions facing youth today, including the struggle between anti-life and pro-life agendas; the workshops led by various speakers such as Rebecca Visser: ‘How Safe is Safe Sex’ in the 2002 Youth Arise International Festival in Ottawa; Sr. Kathleen Ross, Sisters of Life, former head of Ontario Students for Life; George Weigel: ‘Dignity of the Person’; the hundreds of youth who prayed in silence in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel for peace in the world and an end to abortion; the youthful energy of pro-life musicians such as Natalie MacMaster, who declared her anti-abortion stance; the overwhelming exuberant enthusiasm evident in the thousands of youth singing at Mass the WYD theme song: ‘Light of the World and Salt of the Earth’ and crying out repeatedly: ‘Pope John Paul II, we love you’; the hundreds of youth who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation; police who made it clear to condom promoters they were ‘out of line and not welcome’; the witnessing of the truth about contraception, by Dr Janet Smith; the hundreds of thousands who took part in the ‘Way of the Cross’; the sudden change at the closing Mass in the weather from wild winds, tumultuous thunder, drenching downpour to sunshine and blue skies, when Pope John Paul II began to speak.

The World Youth for Life Day presentations held on July 22 at Toronto’s Olympic Island were also of special interest. The members of Crossroads (coast to coast pro-life pilgrims), a pro-life organization formed after the WYD in Denver, wearing pro-life T-shirts, were warmly welcomed. Two different groups journeyed from Florida and San Francisco, walking and praying for pro-life, offering up sacrifices for the victims of abortion. They responded to Pope John Paul II at Denver: “Woe to you if you fail to protect human life…. Do not be afraid to go out into the streets and into market places in defense of human life”. The pro-life presence and action of youth was evident in a pro-life rally that protested before an abortion clinic in Toronto. Throughout the week they reached out with pro-life signs, posters, pins and literature, informing the public about the fact that since 1969, 2.5 million children have been aborted in Canada, with over 150,000 high school and university youth involved in abortion every year. They counteracted the false literature being put out by anti-Catholic advocates led by Canadian Abortion Rights Action League and Catholics for Free Choice, promoting relativism, contraception, false feminism, homosexuality, flexible morality, and birth control.

Among the dedicated pro-lifers, Priests for Life Canada distributed the special publication ‘Canadian Youth Celebrate Life’ to many pilgrims, challenging them to become active in their local communities, accepting Pope John Paul II’s call: “Place your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion, and your fortitude, at the service of life” (WYD, Denver, 1993). This starts with taking to heart the invitation of our Holy Father when he entrusted the WYD Cross to the faithful youth of Canada: “Young people, be saints of the new millennium”, which he later made explicit in the closing Mass homily: “Be people of the Beatitudes”.

Situation #1:
WYD 2002 cost over $80 million. There is still a debt of over $32 million.

Situation #2:
WYD 2002 drew many thousands of young people to Toronto. Many youth across Canada were unable to attend.

For Class Discussion:
How did WYD 2002 and the visit of the Holy Father to Canada affect those youth who could not be there? How did it affect Catholic adults across Canada? What was the media reaction across Canada?

SO MANY YOUTH OPTING FOR LIFE
by Amandine Johnson
(an Ottawa area youth)

        World Youth Day in Toronto last July was an incredible experience that I will never forget. The opportunity to express myself so openly as a Catholic did not present itself until now. The WYD was a perfect time to reconfirm our beliefs and Catholic life values that we always respected but which we do not discuss or defend enough amongst ourselves (youth).

    In Toronto, though, it was a whole other story. Instead of people being shy or discreet about their faith, we were thousands gathered together rejoicing at the simple, but great fact, that we were Catholic. Some went loudly proclaiming their faith in the streets of the city. But despite that enthusiasm, the hard reality in which we are living, as Catholic or non-Catholic, was also present at WYD. I saw and heard, because Exhibition Place is so big, of demonstrations against Our Lord’s teachings. Some were handing out condoms, as apparently for them, “abstinence doesn’t work for all of us”, as they assume youth are thinking only about sex. WYD, obviously, did not reach those people, but, as a fact of life, there will always be people who will deny the teachings of God and will choose the easy way out.

    On the other hand, I was very happy to see many pro-life demonstrations. The true meaning of love was there. I remember one morning my group and I were walking to our catecheses session when some people handed out free newspapers. Along with the paper they were asking us to promise to abstain from sex until marriage. That simple distribution seemed to have been a hit as throughout the day, I noticed hundreds of youth reading that very same newspaper. These displays of faithful Christians were much more successful.

    It was comforting to see so many youth opting for life. We strengthened our beliefs in life at each Mass during which we offered several intentions for those who have chosen the wrong path, the path of death, and the path of abortion, the path away from God. The adoration time was a very special moment when hundreds of us felt so good to be close to Jesus and so loved by Him.

    WYD has strengthened not only my own faith and pro-life convictions, as only one of thousands who were present, but also of those who prayed for us all over the world. It strengthened even more the bond amongst Catholics everywhere.

In many high schools, students are permitted to assist in opening announcements and prayers. We encourage you to say the following prayer at least once a week in your school.