Symbols
WYD Cross and Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani
WYD is always accompanied by two symbols:
the WYD Cross (Youth Cross) and the Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani.
Every time the international World Youth Day is held, these symbols go on pilgrimage, proclaiming the Gospel and walking alongside young people in their daily lives.
40 Years of Traveling
Also known as the Youth Cross, the Holy Year Cross, the Jubilee Cross, and the Pilgrim Cross, the World Youth Day Cross was specially made for the Church to celebrate the Holy Year of the Redemption that began in 1983. Saint John Paul II believed that all those gathered at St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee pilgrimage needed to have a cross to look upon. As such, a 3.8 meter cross was made and placed in the square. As the Holy Year came to a close, the Pope invited young people to visit him in Rome. However, far more young people responded to his invitation than expected. Inspired by their generosity, the Holy Father entrusted the cross which had been the symbol of the Holy Year to them.
(April 22, 1984) In giving them the cross, he spoke the following words.
"My dear young people,
at the conclusion of the Holy Year,
I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year:
the Cross of Christ!
Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of
Christ’s love for humanity
and proclaim to everyone
that it is only in Christ,
who died and rose from the dead,
that salvation and redemption are to be found."
April 22, 1984
Saint John Paul II entrusting
the Jubilee Cross to the youth
Following the Holy Father's wishes, young people began carrying the cross to various locations, starting with Munich, Germany in 1984 and then moving to Lourdes and beyond. When the Pope asked that it be taken to Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), which was a communist country at the time, young people in Germany sprang into action. They brought the cross to Prague, turning it into a symbol of their communion with the Holy Father.
The tradition of handing over the WYD Cross from one host country to the next started in 1996, when youth from the Philippines passed it on to the youth of France. Most recently, on November 24, 2024, at St. Peter's Basilica, young people from Portugal handed the Cross and the Icon to Korean youth.
The WYD Cross has traveled by boat, sled, crane, and tractor, passing through lush forests and busy city streets while visiting churches, prisons, schools, universities, hospitals, and even shopping centers. This Cross, which has traveled with young people around the world, has visited approximately 90 countries and has helped bring reconciliation to regions suffering from civil war or intense conflict, establishing itself as a symbol of hope.
Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani
The icon Salus Populi Romani, or the Salvific Health of the Roman People, was first used during the World Youth Day vigil and Mass held in Rome during the Great Jubilee of 2000. Later, in 2003, Saint John Paul II asked that this icon of the Blessed Virgin accompany the WYD Cross on its pilgrimage.
"From now on [the Icon] will accompany the World Youth Days, together with the Cross.Behold, your Mother! It will be a sign of Mary's motherly presence close to young people who are called, like the Apostle John, to welcome her into their lives. “
April 13, 2003
Saint John Paul II,
as the handover of the Youth Cross
The original Salus Populi Romani icon is kept in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and is said to have been created by Saint Luke, the patron saint of painters.
Pope Francis was known for entrusting all his apostolic journeys to the protection of Our Lady, visiting this icon to pray both before his departure and upon his arrival back to Rome.