KATHMANDU (UCAN) -- Some Catholics in Nepal say it is a pity that none of their youth were able to attend the recent World Youth Day (WYD) in Australia.

According to the WYD 2008 official website, the event held July 15-20 in Sydney this year attracted 223,000 registered pilgrims, including 110,000 from 170 nations. But there were no official Nepalese delegates.

Monika Gurung, a 42-year-old Catholic, told UCA News she felt "bad" that Nepali youths were not given a chance to participate. "We certainly would have felt proud had some of our youths gone to the WYD in Sydney," she said.

She claimed local youths, like thousands of others from around the world, would have learned something from the event.

However, Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, told UCA News the Church in Nepal had given youths the opportunity to attend such events in the past, "but the results were not satisfactory." He said he wanted the youths to attend such events and put into practice what they learned, "but this has not happened so far here in Nepal."

The other reason for the Church not sending youths to WYD this year, he added, was that a Catholic youth from Nepal went missing during the last international WYD celebration, in Germany in 2005.

Krishna Khanal, 23, disappeared on Aug. 16, 2005, the second day after the eight-member group from Nepal arrived in Germany. Some Catholics in Kathmandu reacted harshly to the disappearance at the time, saying the missing youth leader turned out to be "a Judas."

Terence Lee, a parishioner of Assumption Church, the main church in Kathmandu, said that while youths in Nepal might lack proper formation, money could have been another reason why local youths could not go to Australia.

"It's hard, in a Third World country like ours, to acquire the funds needed for our youths to go to go abroad and take part in an event," he told UCA News. Nonetheless, he said, the local Church, and the youths in particular, must prepare for the next international WYD program, in Madrid in 2011.

According to Binod Gurung, president of the Nepal Catholic Society, the main problem "in our Church is the communication gap." He said laypeople are not kept informed about youth movement activities, and they do not know why their youths did not go to Australia.

Salesian Father Augusty Pulickal, national youth chaplain, who spoke with UCA News from Dharan in eastern Nepal, where he is based, said youths were not sent this year due to lack of "full preparation."

"The previous incident in Germany and lack of funds were other reasons for us not sending youths to Sydney," the pastor of St. John Bosco Parish added.

"However, there will be opportunities in the future, and youths must be more active and responsible, and prove that they are trustworthy," he said.

Nonetheless, youths in Kathmandu regret they were not given the chance this year.

Narun Darshandhari, a founder of the Nepal Catholic Youth Movement, told UCA News he felt sorry for young Catholics in Nepal.

"This could have been the best opportunity for our youths to interact with other Catholics from across the globe and learn a lot from them," added the former youth movement secretary, now a Jesuit seminarian.

Prashant Thakuri, 23, believes a mistake by one youth in the past has led all the youths in Nepal to suffer.

"I feel that by not sending youths to WYD this year, the Church has warned us youngsters against repeating what Khanal did in Germany," the Assumption parishioner said. "This could also be punishment for us for Khanal's mistake."

The Church should have at least marked the day in Nepal itself by organizing a program, he said, but no event was held.

Thakuri hoped Nepalese youths "have learned a lesson" now, and that the next international WYD celebration will include Nepalese delegates.

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