Minimum age for participating in World Youth Days

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

At its meeting earlier this spring, the Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) discussed a resolution by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO) from its plenary meeting earlier this year in support of CCCB efforts to set a minimum age for World Youth Day (WYD) participants. The Bishops of Ontario noted the problems of assuring the necessary supervision and security for minors at the 2013 WYD in Rio de Janeiro, and also observed recent efforts by travel agents to reduce the travel age for future World Youth Days to as young as 14 years old. This will create serious potential liability issues for dioceses. As resolved by the ACBO and recommended by the CCCB Executive Committee, the Permanent Council strongly advises Canadian dioceses to implement 18 as the minimum age limit for participation in future World Youth Days. The next WYD will be held in Poland in 2016.

(Rev.) Msgr. Patrick Powers, P.H.
General Secretary
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops