dates, theme, logo and message from Pope Leo XIV for young people
” Courage ! Me, I am the winner of the world ”(John 16, 33): it is the theme of the next World Youth Days, which will take place in Seoul, capital of South Korea, from Tuesday, August 8, 2027.
At the end of the closing mass of the Jeunes Jubilee, Sunday August 3 in Rome, Pope Leo XIV announced the dates of the WYD 2027 and gave an appointment in Korea.
“Courageously testify to Christ”
The theme had been chosen by Pope Francis. He came from the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples before his passion in the Gospel according to St John. His successor Léon XIV made the link between Esperance, Leitmotif of the jubilee year, and the victory of Christ over the world, which will be at the center of the next WYD.
“It is precisely the hope that inhabits our hearts which gives us the strength to announce the victory of the resurrected Christ on evil and on death; And you, young pilgrims of Hope, you will be the witnesses to the borders of the earth, “he launched to young people on Sunday, August 3, 2024. The JMJs of Seoul will encourage them to” testify courageously to Christ “, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laïcs, family and life, during the presentation of the theme September 2024.
A logo inspired by traditional Korean art
The WYD 2027 will be the 41sts in history and the second that will take place in Asia. The first had taken place in 1995 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, with Pope John Paul II and 5 million young people. In South Korea, 11% of the population is Catholic. Young people will discover a minority church but “full of vitality and initiatives of all kinds”, as Cardinal Farell described.
It is enriched by “the heroic testimony of so many martyrs” which will strengthen the call to courage that will be made to young people. For pilgrims, the Asian Church will also be an example of coexistence between cultures, which will encourage them to be “messengers of peace in a world so torn by conflict and division,” said the cardinal.
“In a country still divided, the Church has been committed for more than seventy years to work for peace and unity for more than seventy,” insisted Bishop Paul Kyung-Sang Lee, auxiliary bishop of Seoul and general coordinator of the WYD. Finally, “the dynamic Asian context will help young people think about the dialogue between faith and modernity,” said Cardinal Farell.
The PDP logo is a cross inspired by traditional Korean art, drawn by two brush strokes, one towards the sky and the other towards the earth to signify the link which unites them and the accomplishment of the will of God. The two features are blue and red: these are the colors of the Korean flag and the symbols of the vitality of the youth and the blood of the martyrs, as explained by Mgr Kyung-Sang Lee. The light that shines behind the cross is that of Christ, “light of the world” (John 8,12).
A first celebration in Seoul in 2024
“The preparation of the JMJ of Seoul 2027 is now launched and is progressing with confidence towards the dates fixed by the Holy Father,” said Gleison de Paula Souza, secretary of the Dicaster for Laïcs, the family and life, after the announcement of the dates by Pope Leo.
“Alongside the local organizing committee of Seoul, we work so that bishops and young people around the world come together to testify that meeting with Christ transforms life and gives the courage to meet the challenges they face,” he said. The diocese of Seoul has already celebrated a launch mass of the WYD 2027 on Sunday July 28, 2024, in the Cathedral Myeongdong, in the center of the capital.
