WASHINGTON, (February 12, 1997) -- Attendants at World Youth Day in Paris must register with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) or they will not get an events pass to World Youth Day events. Registration with the Vatican alone is not enough.

"Registering with the NCCB is vital," said Ana Villamil, who is coordinating U.S. participation in the international event.

World Youth Day is slated for August 19-24 and Pope John Paul II is scheduled to attend.

Ms. Villamil noted that those who wish to participate in World Youth Day must follow a three- level registration process involving the Vatican, Washington and Paris. Requirements of all three levels must be met.

Requirement one calls for attendees to sign up with the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity and pay a ten-dollar fee which is used to offset the cost of World Youth Day attendance by youth from developing nations. When the Vatican receives this form and fee, it responds with a letter and registration number but this number will not provide entry to World Youth Day.

Requirements two and three are met by registering with the NCCB which will pass on the registration information to Paris to meet the Paris on-site requirements. Registrants also will be advised to send requisite fees for their events pass, information kit, transportation pass, meals and lodging directly to Paris. Only those who complete all three requirements will receive World Youth Day materials and passes.

Ms. Villamil said that thousands of registrations have been received by the NCCB but that there are many other groups which have only registered with the Vatican or have not registered with anyone at all.

She suspects that problems may be due to the fact that travel agents may be offering World Youth Day tour packages to groups which are unaware of World Youth Day procedures. Travel agents are precluded from registering groups with World Youth Day. Registration must be done through group leaders, who register a large number of participants at one time.

Persons seeking registration forms should contact

World Youth Day '97 is a coming together of young people from the four corners of the world and a strong reminder of the strength and confidence the young bring to the Church today. The French translation of World Youth Day (WYD) is Journeys Mondiales de la Jeunesse (JMJ).

The official target age for JMJ97 is 18-35. Youth under 18 are welcome but must have one chaperone for every six minors.

Pope John Paul II instituted World Youth Day in 1984. Previous World Youth Days have been in Rome; Buenos Aires; Saint Jacques de Compostelle, Spain; Czestochowa, Poland ; Denver and Manila.

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