Pope's message inspires youths to love Christ

To the editor:

I had the awe-inspiring opportunity to celebrate Mass with Pope John Paul II in Toronto for World Youth Day 2002. Special thanks to Teresa LeGrand, youth minister of St. Mary's Cathedral, who organized the pilgrimage for 27 area youths.

Returning home, I bought the Southeast Missourian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and USA Today to collect articles about Sunday's papal mass. I found one article per newspaper headlining John Paul's comments about sexual misconduct in the church. He asked young people not to be discouraged by the shameful sins of clergy against children but to support the majority of religious who are good. Though timely and important, this comment was a brief part of his message inspiring our youths to love Christ and put his words into action.

No article reported the miles youth trekked with camping gear in the summer heat to attend. No article showed the youths' laughter despite pelting rain as they slept outdoors waiting to worship Christ. No article mentioned the constant cheer for John Paul. And no article mentioned the pope's powerful words inspiring youths to sing "Christ is our light. We shine with his brightness from day to day."

My arrival home reminds me of the pope's challenge to "build a city of God in a world of men." With selective reporting, our newspapers want to keep us in the dark, but the whole truth will be revealed as the youths inspired by John Paul go forth as "light for the world."

TRACY FISHER

Cape Girardeau