c. 2005 Religion News Service

COLOGNE, Germany _ Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday (Aug. 21) ended his first foreign trip and closed the World Youth Day festivities by urging more than 1 million young Catholics to reject “do-it-yourself” religion.

Benedict closed World Youth Day with a huge open-air Mass at a former mine called Marienfeld. Many in the crowd had camped overnight under damp and cool conditions, and organizers said the crowd surpassed their most optimistic estimates to top more than 1 million.

Benedict, the first German-born pope in more than 500 years, switched seamlessly between his native German and Italian, English, French, and Latin during the Mass, as the last of 150,000 overnight latecomers trickled in.

The pope used his homily to reinforce his previous attacks against “moral relativism” _ the idea that truth can be different for each person _ and urged the congregation to avoid the temptation to pick and choose what aspects of Catholic doctrine were convenient or easy.

“Religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis cannot help us in the end,” the pontiff said during his homily, which started just as the sun broke through the overcast sky for the first time that day.

“We must all help people discover the true star which points the way for us: Jesus Christ. If you make the effort, you will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your lives.”

Earlier in the homily, Benedict called on those listening to him to make the most of the freedom God had given them.

“Freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by a measure of truth and goodness,” he said. “This takes place so that we ourselves can truly become true and good.”

Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the archbishop of Cologne, who was instrumental in bringing the event to his archdiocese, introduced Benedict to the massive crowd.

“Here in the midst of the youth of the world along with countless priests, bishops and cardinals, we welcome you, Holy Father, to Marienfeld,” Meisner said. Benedict clasped Meisner’s hands in his own and acknowledged the cheers and chanting from the crowd before starting the Mass.

The 78-year-old pontiff was interrupted periodically by applause, but the enthusiasm of the crowd fell far short of that enjoyed by Pope John Paul II, Benedict’s predecessor, who sometimes used dry humor and popular slang in his remarks to young people. But the crowd did listen to Benedict intently and seriously, with many youngsters even seen taking notes.

After the pontiff left for his return flight to Rome, thousands of young people stayed in Marienfeld to digest Benedict’s homily and the week’s events.

“I loved John Paul dearly, but I can not help but think that the difference in personalities between John Paul and Benedict may be a good thing in the long run,” said Oskar Manfried, 30, a schoolteacher from the German city of Munster. “Maybe what we are seeing here is the focus on the message rather than the man.”

Amy Saloran, 25, a New York City native studying in Germany for a year, said that even though Benedict is not as naturally gregarious as John Paul was, he is no less of an attractive figure.

“Pope Benedict’s passion for Scripture and God’s teaching is plain for anyone to see,” Saloran said. “There is no doubt about his sincerity and reverence.”

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German law enforcement officials announced the crowd at between 1 million and 1.1 million people, making it the third-largest World Youth Day Mass ever, trailing only the 1.4 million who attended Mass in Rome in 2000, and the 4 million who were on hand in Manila in 1995.

As the crowd at Marienfeld started to disperse after the Mass, there were many hugs and tearful goodbyes among the pilgrims. Virginia Roberts, 23, a student in London, said relationships she made were as valuable as the lessons instilled by Benedict and other speakers.

“I expected to be in awe of being in the presence of the pope for the first time,’ Roberts said. “But what I didn’t expect was to be touched by so many of my peers from around the world who are serious Catholics. In my school, there are probably half a dozen Catholics who take their faith seriously. Here I met hundreds. It’s so beautiful to know there are so many other people like me around the world.”The next major World Youth Day event will be in Sydney, Australia, in 2008, it was announced just before the Mass. Along with the goodbyes in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and other languages audible in the crowd, was the new refrain: “See you in Sydney.”

KRE/JM END LYMAN