Visit to Switzerland: When young people call, this pope answers

Published: 2004-05-21

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II travels to Switzerland in early June on a two-day mission to the heart of Europe and the hearts of young people. The 84-year-old pontiff will be the guest of honor at a youth rally in Bern June 5 and celebrate Mass for Swiss Catholics, young and old, in a meadow outside the city June 6. Despite the scaled-back program, the papal visit will highlight some key issues. The trip to a multilingual, multicultural nation in the center of "Old Europe" gives the pope another chance to hammer home his message that the recently expanded European Union must remain true to its Christian roots. At the same time, the pope is expected to bring words of unity to Swiss Catholics, who have experienced serious internal disagreements since the pope's last visit in 1984. It's the pope's first foreign trip in nine months, and some see it as a personal test for the frail pontiff, who no longer walks and has to be pushed by aides on a wheeled chair. All these issues -- Christianity in Europe, Catholic unity in Switzerland and the health of the pope -- may surface during the 32-hour visit, but the reason for the trip is probably much simpler: When young people call, this pope answers. In this case, Swiss Catholic youths had the audacity to invite him despite the misgivings of their elders.

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