NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

    VATICAN CITY, SEP 10, 1999 (ZENIT).- It's no secret that John Paul II has always had a soft spot for young people and children, so it should come as no surprise that the Vatican is preparing special material and activities for youngsters from around the world to live the Jubilee 2000 as active protagonists.

    Today the official Vatican web site for the Jubilee introduced four lively cartoon characters that will serve as children's guides to prepare themselves for the year 2000.

    "Schanty" is a young African girl who begins her adventure by asking the local missionary where Rome is on the world map. "Luca" is an Italian boy who loves soccer and can't wait to meet so many people who will come from every corner of the world to visit his country during the Jubilee. "Lyn" is a Philippine girl, in typical dress, complete with a trendy headband. Finally, "James" is a young American, with a backwards baseball cap, a T-shirt that says "I Love N.Y.," and his ever-present laptop computer. Coming together in Rome, they share experiences and visit the major sites and events in the Eternal City. Their journey takes web surfers on a guided tour where they learn along the way about the history, meaning and events of the Holy Year, especially the main attraction for kids, the "Children's Jubilee," on Jan. 2, 2000.

    The official logo of the "Children's Jubilee" depicts St. Peter's Square with the "arms" of the colonnade embracing a colorful globe and the four cartoon characters in the background. There's even an audio greeting from each one of the young escorts.

    Right now, everything is in Italian but volunteers are hard at work preparing the same material in several other languages for children the world over. You can see and hear the cartoon characters and follow their adventures at: http://www.jubil2000.org/bambini/bambini01.it.html ZE99091021

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