WYD Seoul 2027
Steps towards WYD Seoul 2027
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Seoul and Lisbon work together for the next World Youth Day in 2027

On 27 and 28 May, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life met with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Seoul, which will host the next edition of World Youth Day (WYD). The invitation was also extended to the LOC of Lisbon, which hosted the last edition of WYD.
On the occasion of the International Congress on Youth Ministry, the Dicastery promoted the meeting with the organising committees of the WYDs with the hope of passing on experiences to the next host of the event, creating an ever closer collaborative network, and discussing key issues that must be addressed for the smooth running of the event.
From Lisbon to Seoul
The first day of the meeting – opened by a welcoming greeting from the Secretary of the Dicastery, Dr Gleison De Paula Souza – was marked by an address by Mariana Frazão (Head of Pastoral and Artistic Affairs of WYD Lisbon 2023) and Jorge Messias (Head of Logistics of WYD Lisbon 2023). The guests shared the strengths and challenges of organising the event, noting the importance of having relationships at the basis of organisational decisions. This led to the conclusion that “the transparency of relationships is necessary for effective and continuous collaboration”, as Cardinal Américo Aguiar, General Coordinator of WYD Lisbon 2023, said.
“Pilgrims must be at the centre of our decisions.” This phrase highlights one of the missions of WYD: to be a place of encounter – an encounter with others, but above all a real encounter with God – which leads everyone to a genuine experience with Jesus. This was the main focus of the discussion, which led everyone to understand that the pastoral aspect must be at the heart of WYD and at the centre of every organisational decision (artistic, linguistic, logistical, etc.). With this in mind, there is a question that guides the current organisers in planning WYD: “What is the pastoral aspect that you want to convey in every moment of WYD?”
Continuing on from the first day, the new LOC learned about the history of the registration process for previous editions of WYD via a presentation of the system used for this purpose.
The Memorandum to kick-start the collaboration for WYD Seoul 2027
During the second day of the meeting, the Dicastery and the LOC of WYD Seoul 2027 discussed technical issues with an eye to the future and smooth preparation of the event. This also provided an opportunity to clarify doubts and establish more consistent contact between the two bodies.
In the presence of Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and Monsignor Peter Soon-Taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul, the meeting concluded with the signing of the Memorandum, a mutual agreement guaranteeing close cooperation between the Dicastery and the host of the next WYD, the Archdiocese of Seoul.
18 June 2024

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