World Youth Day celebrations reached an extraordinary conclusion yesterday when the Pope celebrated Mass for around two million people at the Tor Vergata university campus outside Rome. It was surely one of the largest spiritual gathering of Christians ever seen in Europe.
"Many words resound around you, but only Christ has words that resist the attrition of time and remain for eternity," the Pope told the huge crowd, visibly delighted and rejuvenated by his contact with such a vast assembly of the young. "If you know what you should be, you will set the whole world alight," he said.
"I'm still in awe, I'm overwhelmed completely and utterly," said Ivana Kirrane (27), from Dublin, as she waited to leave the Tor Vergata encampment. "It completely surpassed anything I could have imagined."
Ms Kirrane, a lawyer who gave up a year to work as a volunteer at the International San Lorenzo Youth Centre near the Vatican during the jubilee, said she had been impressed by the patience of the pilgrims, who had endured the discomfort of a night in the open after a sweltering day on a shadeless plain in 38 heat.
"People could only cope with such an experience if they were motivated by a powerful faith," she said. "The people still have this joy, because we are all here for the same reason."
The Mass, concelebrated with 600 bishops on a 150-metre wooden stage, followed a remarkable overnight vigil during which the Pope established a highly emotional dialogue with the host of enthusiastic pilgrims from 160 different countries.
People began arriving at Tor Vergata early on Saturday a programme of music, dance and reflection. By the end of the weekend more than 2,000 people had been treated in first aid tents for heat stroke and dehydration.
The Pope succeeded in creating an immediate empathy with the crowd, who chanted his name and clapped rhythmically as though supporting a football team. A jubilant-looking Pontiff, who on several occasions appeared to wipe tears of emotion from his eyes, responded by tapping on the arm of his chair in time to the music and even waving his arms above his head. Twice young people broke through the security cordons to embrace the Pope, one young woman clinging to his neck and sobbing for more than a minute.
"In the course of the century that is ending, young people like you were summoned to oceanic gatherings to learn to hate, were sent to fight one against the other," John Paul told the crowd, as thousands of candles illuminated the night.
"Today you are here to affirm that you will not allow yourselves to be instruments of violence and destruction, that you will defend the peace, paying a personal price if necessary."
The emotionally charged evening session concluded with a spectacular fireworks display, recreating the pyrotechnical extravaganzas that Popes of the baroque era used to offer to the Roman public. It was a fitting end to the six-day Jubilee of Youth that Ireland's 2,000 pilgrims will long remember.
Pope John Paul, moved by the sound of two million people singing and clapping in unison, commented: "Rome has heard your noise and will never forget it."