World Youth Day: Campus Fidei

Hi everyone! Today and tomorrow are public holidays in Rio because of the Pope’s visit, but some of us are still working (though working from home helps soften the blow). So far it’s looking like a great day to stay indoors.

Cold, dark and damp. A cold front is currently affecting much of southern Brazil.

Not much fun if you’re planning to visit the Pope’s Vigil and Final Mass in Campus Fidei (Latin for “Field of faith”) in Guaratiba (an area on the far western outskirts of Rio) this weekend. The sheer scale of this event is impressive. From the World Youth Day website:

• The total area of Campus Fidei is 1.36 million m².
• 4,673 toilets will be provided for pilgrims, of which 270 are adapted for people with physical disabilities.
• There will be 615 washbasins, 4,920 water fountains, and 2,016 urinals.
• Campus Fidei will also have 33 LED video screens for the audience.
• 12 million gallons of water will be provided for the event, which will be spread over 177 locations. There will also be a station for wastewater treatment within the grounds of Campus Fidei, to treat water before it enters the sewer. 

This is going to be a major event with between 900,000 and 1.2 million people expected.

Sounds pretty well organised doesn’t it? Still, having attended 2 very rainy Glastonbury festivals (attendance: 175,000), I would be packing my wellies!

Pilgrims on Copacabana beach today.

It has been raining quite heavily for the past 3 days and shows no signs of stopping. I’m not religious myself, but I do wish conditions would improve for the countless people going to this event.

Campus Fidei: The plan. 

Campus Fidei: The reality. I saw one pilgrim remark that this site should be renamed ‘Lamus Fidei’ (Lama is ‘mud’ in Portuguese). 

The forecast is for further rain today and tomorrow, with things brightening up on the weekend. I just hope they can do something about all the mud before the vast crowds of pilgrims show up…