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2016 WORLD YOUTH DAY - Interaction with young people at the centre of World Youth Day experience for Archbishop

WYD16-TimothyCostelloeReflection2Sep16

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has said that spending time with young people, and observing their small acts of mercy, was one of the most important aspects of his experience at this year’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Krakow, Poland. Photo: Matthew Tloczek

Click Here to watch the video “Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, Archbishop of Perth reflects on his World Youth Day Experience.

By Caroline Smith

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has said that spending time with young people, and observing their small acts of mercy, was one of the most important aspects of his experience at this year’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Krakow, Poland.

In a video interview filmed at the event in Poland, Archbishop Costelloe said he had met and conversed with many young people while travelling through Italy on his way to WYD.

“I travelled through Italy, through Rome and then Turin with young people, spending our days together, having meals together, then we went to Warsaw and spent some days in the diocese there,” he said.

He added that these encounters were very important for the bishops taking part, and reflected their role as spiritual leaders in their communities.

WYD16-TimothyCostelloeReflectionSep16

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has said that spending time with young people, and observing their small acts of mercy, was one of the most important aspects of his experience at this year’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Krakow, Poland. Photo: Matthew Tloczek

“You’re spending all your time with young people, often just mucking around and having fun, other times having quite beautiful and profound conversations with individual people,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“It’s a real chance for a bishop to be what bishops are supposed to be, which is loving, caring shepherds to their people, and to young people in particular.

“And as a Salesian, following in the footsteps of St John Bosco, to be with young people is a wonderful thing for me. I hope for them too, but it certainly is for me.”

Pope Francis – who was also in Poland for WYD – had also used this opportunity to speak to young people about their faith and other issues, Archbishop Costelloe said.

“People sometimes think the bishops will have very immediate access to the Pope, but to be honest, when the Pope comes to WYD, he comes to meet the young people,” he said.

“Not that he’s not interested in the bishops, but I think he realises bishops have other opportunities to be close to him, but certainly it was the case in Rio, I’m sure it will be the case here, he’s going to be really interested in being with the young people.”

This year was the third time that Archbishop Costelloe has attended WYD, having also been to the Sydney event in 2008 and the Rio one in 2013.

He said many of his interactions with young people during the event had reflected well on the theme of mercy, from the Jubilee Year of Mercy being celebrated in 2016.

“I’m getting a bit older now, and many of the young people are sensitive to that, and they’re always asking me if I need any help, or if I’m okay,” he said.

“So there’s a real sensitivity to me as a bishop, which I really appreciate.

“Mercy is shown most often in the small things. Sometimes the big things, like big acts of forgiveness if we hurt someone, but mercy’s also shown in the small, generous, sensitive, big-hearted ways in which we deal with each other.”

Click Here to read the full text of Archbishop Costelloe’s interview

Video courtesy Xt3dotcom, Archdiocese of Sydney