Seoul paves the way for World Youth Day 2027 with launch event

Celebrants gathered at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, as part of the launch event for World Youth Day 2027. / Credit: Korean Culture and Information Service via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2024 / 10:47 am (CNA).

In celebration of the next World Youth Day (WYD), the Catholic Church in South Korea hosted a grand launch event at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on July 28.

The occasion, which drew more than 1,000 young attendees, consisted of various events intended to reflect the theme “Hope Ignites in Seoul. Success for WYD Seoul 2027.”

During the inauguration ceremony, a flag parade was held in which both young Koreans and international attendees carried colorful flags from 193 different countries into the cathedral.

Following the parade, a puzzle ceremony commenced in which the young participants pieced together the various flags to form the words “WYD SEOUL 2027.”

According to LiCAS News, the highlight of the ceremony was the kickoff declaration in which Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick shared that preparing for World Youth Day would be a good opportunity for young people to become “miracle-makers.”

Chung, who serves as the chair of the local organizing committee for WYD Seoul 2027, marked the official start of preparations with this declaration alongside two young Korean delegates.

Gleison De Paula Souza, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, also discussed Seoul’s rich cultural history and selection as the host city for WYD.

Additionally, a research team conducted by the KDI School of Public Policy and Management’s Professor Taejun Lee presented an analysis forecasting the economic impact of WYD Seoul 2027. Among the projections of trillions of dollars expected to be generated from the event, it is forecast that 24,725 jobs will also be created related to World Youth Day 2027, according to LiCAS News.

The ceremony’s concluding Mass, which included a universal prayer said in multiple languages, was celebrated by Chung alongside Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee, Bishop Titus Sang-Bum Seo, and Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo.

In his homily, Chung shared his aspiration that the Church “offer a platform for the youth of our time — a stage where they can emerge as the protagonists of their own narratives.”

“I believe that WYD represents an invaluable opportunity for youth from across the globe, including our Korean youth, to reflect upon and engage with these challenging tasks,” he continued. “It is imperative that we unite our hearts, pray together, and discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we earnestly prepare for this journey.”

According to its website, World Youth Day is a “worldwide encounter with the pope” that occurs every three years in a different country, serving as “an opportunity to share with the whole world the hopes of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and his Church.”

At last year’s WYD in Lisbon, Portugal, an estimated 1.5 million people attended the event’s closing Mass, in which Pope Francis was the main celebrant alongside 10,000 priests and 700 bishops concelebrating.

Since then, the Archdiocese of Seoul has estimated that between 700,000 and 1 million pilgrims, including 300,000 from overseas, will attend World Youth Day 2027, the first WYD to take place on mainland east Asia.