Youth

The Youth Office of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life—once known as the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity—was established in 1986 by John Paul II to give visibility and concreteness to the importance that the Pope and the whole Church attribute to the world of the young.

Within the universal Church, the Youth Office publicizes the Holy Father’s initiatives; it is at the service of the Episcopal Conferences in the field of youth ministry; it addresses youth movements, associations, and international communities, promoting collaboration and meetings between the various ecclesial realities; and it organizes conferences on youth ministry at international and continental levels.

The central element of its activity is the preparation of the international World Youth Days (WYD) that, every two or three years in different countries, gather hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world around the Pope. The WYD, established by John Paul II in 1985, also plans annual celebrations in local churches.

On behalf of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, the Youth Office finally supports the activities of the San Lorenzo International Youth Center, which is entrusted with the mission of welcoming and evangelizing young people who go to Rome to study or on pilgrimage.

 

 

News

WYD
Portuguese and Korean Youth in St. Peter’s basilica for the handover of WYDs Symbols

  During the weekend of November 23-24, the 39th World Youth Day was celebrated all around the world. In the Vatican, it was especially celebrated with the ceremonial passing of the Youth Cross ...

WYD
At the end of the celebration, the traditional handing over of WYD symbols from Lisbon to Seoul

  The 39th World Youth Day will be celebrated on Sunday, 24 November 2024, the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. This year, the Holy Father has chosen as its theme the ...

WYD Seoul 2027
Designed by a team of young people following an online survey, here are its symbols and meanings explained

  The design of the logo for the 41st World Youth Day in Seoul, to be held in 2027, was the first step taken by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in Seoul and was announced during a Press ...