What is World Youth Day?

The primary objective of WYD is to make the message of Christ known to all young people worldwide. It is an evangelical initiative of the Church, with a significant ecumenical dimension.
“I have very lovely memories of World Youth Day in Cologne: it was much more than a massive gathering of people; above all, it was a celebration of faith, a human encounter of communion in Christ. We saw how faith breaks down barriers and truly has the ability to unite different cultures and create joy. I hope this will be repeated now in Australia. That is why I am happy to see many young people united in the desire for God and for a truly human world” (Interview with Benedict XVI with journalists during the flight to Australia, July 12, 2008).

Hence, the objectives of WYD are focused on evangelization: specifically, to make Christ known to the young people of our time. So then, what is the nature of what happens at World Youth Day? What are the forces are at play? Popular analyses tend to view these Days as a variant of contemporary youth culture, describing them as a sort of rock festival, adapted for ecclesial purposes, with the Pope as the star.