A message symbolically delivered in a bottle to the youth of whole world at the Mediterranean Sea by a courageous canoeist. The same action will be applicable to the conclusion of the WYD. The message is to be given by the youngsters representating 160 countries, who met in the International Forum, which will be read tomorrow at the end of the Mass presided by the Holy Father. Such message will be collected and entrusted to the Mediterrenian sea by the Radio Taxi 3570 Co-operative, always through the communication between people and their cultures. The test closed in the bottle will be submitted to Corrado Manias, 36 years of age  from Giuspini (Cagliari), in charge of an advertisment agency, which will give rise to an extraordinary interprise: which will be tanfered in Canoe across Kayak Fiumicino – Golfo aranci –s. Teresa di Gallura – Bastia  - ostia – and back to Fiumicino again. The message will be left at Mańas in the course of passing so that to be diserminate to different areas by the sea currents. 

Corrado Mańas, which is not new in this kind of Interprise takes off on the 20^th August, at 7.00 pm from the mettalic structure autovetture/passegeri of Fiumicino, with canoe fly and with surviving equipments. The navigation will be assisted by a surppotive boat with a medical doctor in board. The arrival at Golfo Aranci is expected to be after 144 hours, that is about (6 days), while it’s expected back to Fiumicino between the 5^th  and  the 10^th  of September, at 6.00pm.

The Canoeist, who will have a break every 4 hours of navigation (without sleeping) will go along  in Surf  thanks to the “anonimous waves” of the Mediterrean Sea  or an immersion with oxygen cylinder. The message of the international Forum will be given to Corrado Mańas by the president of the Cooperativa Radio Taxi 3570 Loreno Bittarelli, 40 years old, from Castiglion del Lago and by Marco Salciccia, 33 years old, from Rome, taxi driver for a long time, representing all their colleagues, invited to reflect on the Jubilee themes and and treasure it intensely for their professional sevice to humanity.

2 .WYD CROSS AT CUBA

WYD Cross, that has been going round the Itaian dioceses since the past few months before its arrival in Rome for the conclusive celebration of the WYD, will resume its journey again to the Island of Cuba, where in the month of september, it will fulfil its pilgrimage in all the dioceses. The initiative has been organised by the Arcibishop of L’Avana, the Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega, as a consequence of the partecipation of 60 Cuban youth to the WYD.

The cross, made of raw wood, and without artistic elaboration started its pilgrimage all over the world in 1984, reaching every places where the Church organised the past World Youth Days. The total journey of the Cross should be equal to twice a journey around the world and about 25-30 million of youth are estimated to have met the symbol of the WYD.

Rome, 19^th of August,2000   

  Ufficio Stampa GMG2000
     tel.: 06.69879911
     fax: 06.69882233
          e-mail: press@gmg2000.it