Pope Benedict XVI has urged more than 1.5 million young people to become missionaries for the Catholic faith.
On August 21, Benedict told pilgrims at a Madrid airfield hosting World Youth Day that they should not keep their faith private but participate fully in the life of their parishes.
This is Benedict's third World Youth Day -- a gathering of young Catholics from around the world once every three years, which was launched a quarter of a century ago by Pope John Paul II in a bid to reinvigorate and spread the faith among the young.
At the end of Sunday Mass on August 21, Benedict officially announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio in 2013.
compiled from agency reports
On August 21, Benedict told pilgrims at a Madrid airfield hosting World Youth Day that they should not keep their faith private but participate fully in the life of their parishes.
This is Benedict's third World Youth Day -- a gathering of young Catholics from around the world once every three years, which was launched a quarter of a century ago by Pope John Paul II in a bid to reinvigorate and spread the faith among the young.
At the end of Sunday Mass on August 21, Benedict officially announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio in 2013.
compiled from agency reports