Another Record of Youth Jubilee
VATICAN CITY, AUGUST 16 (ZENIT.org).- This week, the Circus Maximus is the setting for a unique event in history: 350 light-colored wooden confessionals placed in a semicircle are key to the "celebration of forgiveness," an opportunity for more than one million young pilgrims visiting the Eternal City for World Youth Day to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation.
This is another record for which this Youth Jubilee will be remembered. As of today, and until this Friday, 2,000 priests are taking turns, from the early morning until midnight, to impart the sacrament of pardon. Penitents prepare beforehand by spending time in prayer. The examination of conscience is coupled with readings from Scripture, spiritual writings, and a series of symbolic gestures.
Moreover, all the Roman Jubilee Basilicas have mobilized to offer youths the possibility of Confession, in so far as possible, in their respective languages.
To ask and receive God's forgiveness through the sacrament of Penance is one of the most intense moments of any true pilgrimage. The Vatican Jubilee Committee made an unprecedented effort so that World Youth Day would not just be a pleasant trip to Rome but, above all, a personal encounter with Christ's love.
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