Pope thanks pilgrims for their faith

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POPE Benedict XVI warmed the hearts of over 200,000 Catholicpilgrims camping under the stars at a chilly Randwick racecoursetonight when he thanked God for the "great gift" of their faith. Attending an evening vigil on the eve of his papal mass for anexpected 500,000 people, Benedict XVI urged young people to hearthe "concordant voice of humanity" through the dissonanceand division of their world.

"From the forlorn child in a Darfur camp, or a troubledteenager, or an anxious parent in any suburb, or perhaps even nowfrom the depth of your own heart, there emerges the same human cryfor recognition, for belonging, for unity," he said.

"Who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to beimmersed in communion, to be built up, to be led to truth?

"The holy spirit," he told pilgrims who were givencandles, water, snacks and waterproof ponchos as they swarmedaround a huge stage whose massive TVs gave the occasion a rockconcert atmosphere.

"Tonight, gathered under the beauty of the night sky, ourhearts and minds are filled with gratitude to God for the greatgift of our Trinitarian faith," he said.

The 81-year-old pontiff ended his address with a comment of specialsignificance for the Sisters of St Joseph praying for Blessed MaryMacKillop to become Australia's first saint.

"I echo to you the words spoken by Blessed Mary MacKillop whenshe was just 26 years old," he said.

"'Believe in the whisperings of God to your heart.'"

The pilgrims were in high spirits but no doubt weary after the vastbulk of them - an estimated 180,000 - streamed across the SydneyHarbour Bridge in a day-long procession to the site of tomorrow'sWorld Youth Day (WYD) mass.

"It's touching, so many people of the same age prayingtogether, when so many other people our age are into drugs, smokingor drinking," said Shane Govender, 16, from South Africa.

"With all these people here, we won't even notice how cold itgets," said Neil Philander, 18, also from South Africa.

"We're not here to sleep, we're here to worship. We won't besleeping," said Loma Falekaono, 36, from Hawaii.

The first wave of young Catholics began the 9km walk from NorthSydney in the pre-dawn cold, singing and praying on a three-hourtrek reflecting their walk in Christ.

The pilgrimage was not spoiled by the hundreds of protesters whoconfronted them at one point, although one young man was detainedby police after he charged a demonstrator wearing a "Pope GoHomo" T-shirt.

The protesters - led by a utility truck with an effigy of the Popein the tray - won their right to "annoy" pilgrims whenthe Federal Court overturned a portion of NSW government's WYDregulations this week.

Angered by the Pope's stance against condoms, homosexuality andabortion, the NoToPope Coalition, including a devil, a drag queenand a pink alien, engaged in good-natured exchanges with pilgrims.

French pilgrim Jean Baptiste, 20, who's been surviving on fourhours sleep a night since WYD began, said the early startdemonstrated pilgrims' commitment to their faith.

"That's why we're here today, to witness, to spread theword," Mr Baptiste said.

"I hope all young people who don't believe in God will havesomething today that will trigger something in their brain."

Roads in the city centre and 25 suburbs were closed for the walk,while the harbour bridge was closed for just the third time in itshistory.

Brenda Schoeninger, 28, called home to Denver, Colorado at dawn totell her family she was one of 13 pilgrims to carry the WYD Crossover the Sydney landmark.

"Even with 12 others it was really heavy and it made merealise how heavy it was for Jesus," she said.

"I think it helped me reflect on myself and my ownfaith."

They were greeted with bread and fruit as they arrived at theracecourse with cries of joy and relief, shedding loads of suppliesfor the vigil and sleep-out.

"Finally we've made it," Cook Islander Timwatbru Nubono,19, from Raratonga said.

"The hardest thing was getting up in the cold this morning,but as we stepped into it, the Holy Spirit guided us."

They were warned to guard against hypothermia, with an overnightlow of seven degrees Celsius expected for their sleep-out.
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