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In the News from Panama

Pope Names Panama to Host Global Event

All eyes in the Catholic world will turn to Panama in 2019, when the city hosts World Youth Day. Pope Francis formally named Panama as the host of World Youth Day last Sunday at the end of the week-long 2016 event in Krakow, Poland.

More than 2 million young men and women attended this year’s event in Krakow, making it one of the largest religious events in the world. Panama was rumored to be the leading choice, but countries in Asia and Africa were also under consideration.

World Youth Day is a major undertaking and will put the pressure on the country to create infrastructure and prepare for the onslaught of global tourists. No doubt every hotel room and apartment will be filled for the week, not to mention in the months leading up to the event. Organizers reportedly spent more than $50 million on the Krakow event.

President Juan Carlos Varela attended the event in Poland. The 2019 event will likely be the first time a pope visits Panama since Pope John Paul II’s trip there in 1983, according to media coverage.

Here is the just-released promotional video for the event:

 

And here is video of the Pope being presented with a traditional Panama hat to mark the occasion: