Rome Reports January 11, 2017

Cardinal Farrell: WYD in Panama will be in the first months of 2019

While the official date of the next World Youth Day in Panama is not known as of yet, what is clear is that it will be in the first months of 2019.

CARDINAL KEVIN FARRELL, Prefect, Dicastery Laity, Family and Life – "The exact date we don't know at this moment, but it will be held in Panama probably in the January, February or March time period because of the climate. You can't hold it in the Summer time, in our Northern Summer time, you can't hold it there because it's the rainy season.”

In organising the event, the economic cost will be taken into account. According to data from GAD3, WYD in Krakow cost about $48.5 million, mostly paid for by the participants, who covered more than 70 per cent of the cost. The State added another 10 percent, especially for security issues. The rest was financed by donations from parishes, people and companies.

Total cost: $ 48,465,597
Participation fees – $ 34.072.295,00
Contributions from parishes in Poland – $ 4.674.652
Individual and company donations – $ 4.273.879
SDM Sponsorships in 2016 – $ 381.958
State security related support – $ 4.641.891

YAGO DE LA CIERVA, World Youth Day in Krakow – "World Youth Day is made for young people, so it makes a lot of sense for young people to take on not only part the organisation, but also the expenses. This has almost always been the case, but one of the wonders of WYD in Krakow was that more than 71 percent of the expenses have been covered by the participants."

The study conducted by GAD3 also reveals that World Youth Days are more than just a religious event. For the host country, it also serves as a showcase for the world.

Afterwards, 96.1 per cent of the participants recommend visiting Poland and more than 80 per cent say the experience has improved their image of the country.

From a personal point of view, more than 90 per cent of pilgrims say that WYD has helped them to deepen their faith and has increased their desire to build a better society.

The next youth encounter will be in Panama in 2019 and it is expected that a million and a half people will participate.