About 16 thousand young Germans will be taking part in the forthcoming World Youth Day in Cracow from 26^th to 31^st July. Many of them will be in Poland as early as July 20^th with their dioceses, hosted by 41 Polish dioceses. The young Germans will be led by 29 bishops overall, including the cardinal of 29 Munich-Freising and president of the German Bishops Conference, Reinhard Marx, and the cardinal of Cologne, Rainer Maria Woelki. The young Germans will share Pope Francis’s call with one and a half million young pilgrims from all over the world. All German pilgrims will meet at the sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Cracow-Lagiewniki on Wednesday 27^th July, for a pilgrim’s vigil with the vespers officiated by the bishop of Speyer, mgr. Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, president of the Youth Commission of the German Bishops Conference. “Pope Francis has put the message of mercy, which is this year’s profile, at the centre of the WYD”, says bishop Wiesemann in his message to the young German pilgrims. “I hope in the end this will turn into a powerful surge of optimism and renewal”. The prelate cannot wait to meet the young people at times of joint prayer: “When so many young people are completely silent at the same time, the feeling is one of wonderful communion in faith, and no more words are needed, no big gestures, just the contemplation of God and His mercy”.