Follow Christ, youth urged as Australian WYD opens

Be open to the spirit, cardinal says

By CINDY WOODEN
Catholic News Service
Sydney, Australia

The archbishop of Sydney challenged young people to get off the fence and follow Christ as World Youth Day opened July 15.

"Our task is to be open to the power of the Spirit, to allow the God of surprises to act through us," Cardinal George Pell said at an opening Mass with 140,000 people.

Too many times, Christians profess and practise their faith, but they do it comfortably and without taking risks, he said.

"Following Christ is not cost-free, not always easy, because it requires struggling against what St. Paul calls 'the flesh,' our fat relentless egos, old-fashioned selfishness.

"It is always a battle, even for old people like me," the 67-year-old cardinal said.

"Don't spend your life sitting on the fence," Pell told them, "because only commitments bring fulfillment."

He urged the youth to strengthen their commitment to Christ and to open further their hearts to God's will for their lives.

He also spoke to those who may not be practising Catholics or have any connection to any religion: "Christ is calling you home to love, healing and community."

"Secular wisdom claims that leopards do not change their spots, but we Christians believe in the power of the Spirit to convert and change persons away from evil to good, from fear and uncertainty to faith and hope," he said.

Before the Mass, the pilgrims heard testimonies of faith experiences at previous World Youth Days, and watched dancing by a variety of aboriginal Australian and South Pacific islander groups.

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