ROME, JULY 21, 2005 ().- At least 3,000 youths and 60 priests of a group supportive of the Latin Mass of Pope Pius V plan to attend World Youth Day in Cologne, an official says.
Armand de Malleray, of St. Peter’s Fraternity, who is delegate general of the Juventutem association, announced the news to ZENIT.
The first Juventutem group was made up of followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who met in Brazil. For the past three years, Juventutem has been in full communion with the Church of Rome. Its members will attend the Aug. 21 Mass presided over by Benedict XVI.
In the preceding days, at 7:30 a.m. the Juventutem group will attend a Mass celebrated in Latin in the old rite, in the Church of St. Antonius in Duesseldorf, which, together with Bonn and Cologne, is one of the three areas in which World Youth Day events will be held.
The church was assigned to them by the Pontifical Council for the Laity with the approval of Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne.
Three cardinals and eight bishops will preside at vespers or lead times of prayer and reflection which Juventutem members will attend.
De Malleray added that Juventutem’s objective for World Youth Day is to «get to know one another, knowing that we have a common tradition within Holy Mother Church.»