World Youth Day is a great worldwide encounter with the Pope which is celebrated every three years in a different country. This time it is celebrated in Madrid from August 16th to 21st, 2011.

Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, 18 August, conducted a formal greeting and prayer service at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, where he counselled the young people present to be firm in their faith and "build [their] lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ".

Young people greeted the Pope and gave him gifts from their respective regions. The pope received salt and bread from a young Polish woman, a flower garland from a Japanese woman, a bowl of rice from a South Korean; a sombrero from a Honduran and coffee beans in a banana leaf from a young man from Australia.

The 84-year-old Pope urged the young people to be "prudent and wise, build your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ" so that "nothing will make you fear, and peace will reign in your hearts."

"Then you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will influence others," he said. "They will wonder what the secret of your life is" and they, too, will discover Christ, "your friend, brother and Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe."

26 years of World Youth Days - Watch the video!

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