Love becomes more sensible in the absence of the beloved. This thought came to my mind when I joined 10,000 young people at the March 9 Vigil Celebration of the Third European University Day held in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

“I have the privilege,” said the substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, “to read the message the Pope sent to you from the hospital.”

As soon as we heard “the Pope,” we all stood. “Giovanni Paolo!” hundreds of young people began singing. Then, every one in the hall, including the cardinals, followed suit and clapped rhythmically. The singing and clapping continued for a couple of minutes. The same happened a few more times during the vigil after the Pope was mentioned.

It was a youthful and loving tribute to the vicar of Christ.

The Holy Father was scheduled to lead the vigil celebration but watched it on television in his hospital room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

For us, however, the Pope was present, even though we had no idea that he was watching us. The youths’ fervent prayers and enthusiastic singing expressed their love for him as a search for the Christ he represents.

European University Day, to be celebrated on the first Saturday of March, was instituted by John Paul II three years ago. Each one of the participants received the celebration’s booklet, a candle, a rosary and a cap with the words of this year’s theme: “Intellectual Search as Way to Encounter Christ.”

“There is no contradiction between faith and reason,” John Paul II said in his message. “Dear young people, be always moved by the longing to discover the truth about your life. May faith and reason be two wings that lead you to Christ, truth of God and truth of man.”

Christ, Yesterday, Today and Always was the evening’s first song interpreted by hundreds of well-trained young voices belonging to various university choirs.

The celebration was, in fact, centered on Christ. “In him you will find peace and joy,” the Holy Father stated in his message. “May Christ be the center of all your life. This is my sincerest wish, which I express from my heart to all, accompanying it with my prayers.”

World Youth Day

Via satellite, we watched and listened to a few young German people who, from Berlin’s St. Adalbert Church, sang the upcoming 2005 World Youth Day song, Venimus Adorare Eum” (We Came to Adore Him.) The World Youth Day cross was then brought from the back of the hall by a delegation of 10 European nations. From the cathedral of Bari, south of Italy, we listened to testimonies about the Eucharist.

After singing in Latin Tu es Petrus (You Are Peter), we listened to the Pope’s message. The Holy Father invited us to participate in World Youth Day, Aug. 18-21, in Cologne, Germany. “Happy Easter and good luck on the road toward Cologne!” said the Pope, who still plans to attend that event. 

The gathering reflected the universality of the Church. It was connected via satellite to groups of young people and their pastors in cathedrals and shrines in Madrid, Zagreb, Berlin, Lisbon, Kiev, Bari, Bucharest, Tirana and London. I attended the event with some American college students, mostly from Christendom and Thomas More colleges, and Duquesne and John Cabot universities.

Young people from five European cities led a decade of the rosary in Latin. At the end of every decade, we all stood to sing the Latin version of the Ave Maria. How nice and moving! Catholic youth from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds prayed to Christ through Mary in a common language.

After the meeting in the Vatican, the students processed with the World Youth Day cross to the Church of St. Agnes in Rome’s Piazza Navona, praying the Stations of the Cross. It began raining, but the youth didn’t care.

I saw the European University Day celebration as the sign of a great miracle. How is it possible to find in secular Europe so many young people in various European cities searching for Jesus? Who can convoke thousands of European youth to pray the rosary in Latin and to carry a cross in the rain?

My guess is that John Paul II smiled at us from his hospital room. In their gathering, the youth expressed their love for this Pope who, with pains and wrinkles, keeps himself young by seeking Jesus.

Legionary Father Alfonso

Aguilar teaches philosophy at Regina Apostolorum University in [email protected]