Cardinal Farrell: With One Year to Go Until the Start of WYD Seoul 2027, Young People Are Increasingly at the Center

Photo: @wydseoul2027.en

With the publication of a press release from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for World Youth Day Seoul 2027 yesterday, July 30^th, the countdown has begun to the start of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, which will take place in Korea from August 3 to 8, 2027.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, commented to Vatican media: “With one year to go until the start of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, the young people who will be travelling to Korea alongside their pastors are increasingly at the heart of the preparations for the event.” In fact, Seoul Local Organizing Committee has announced two major events that, on August 3^rd, will actively involve young people in preparing for their pilgrimage to Korea: the premiere of the official Theme Song (August 3, 1 p.m. CEST on the Seoul WYD 2027 YouTube channel) and the launch of the “Breath for Life” tree-planting Campaign, which will kick off the full implementation phase of the project.

The opening of registration for pilgrims and volunteers, scheduled for the second half of this year, will mark the journey toward August 2027 in an increasingly concrete way. The pilgrim kits, on the other hand, are already available on the WYD Seoul 2027 website www.wydseoul.org

The Theme Song, to be released on August 3, is—along with the Prayer and the Patron Saints—a pastoral tool for preparation

“The Theme Song—along with the official prayer and the testimonies of the five patron saints chosen for this international edition of World Youth Day—is a pastoral tool that will help young people prepare spiritually for the 2027 event,” said the Prefect, also noting that this year marks the 40^th anniversary of World Youth Day, which was initiated by St. John Paul II in 1986. “Over its forty-year history,” the Prefect emphasizes, “World Youth Day has been progressively enriched thanks to the faith, enthusiasm, and active participation of young people and the local Churches”.

Living the pilgrimage to Seoul 2027 as an authentic experience of faith, communion, and a personal encounter with Jesus

Finally, Farrell addressed the bishops and youth ministry leaders from around the world, who are already working to encourage and promote young people’s participation in World Youth Day in Seoul within their dioceses and communities. To them, the Prefect said: “I therefore renew my invitation to the Bishops and those responsible for youth ministry throughout the world to walk alongside young people towards Seoul 2027, making the most of these resources in their preparation, and helping them to experience the pilgrimage as an authentic experience of faith, ecclesial communion, and a personal encounter with Jesus".