The Archdiocese of Seoul launched a research group ahead of WYD 2027 to “prepare the ground for a youth experience that is truly transformative for young people’s lives”.
By Agenzia Fides
Jan 29 2024
SEOUL – A laboratory of ideas, a place of listening and exchange, an organizational “hub” to coordinate the different charisms and make World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 an authentic initiative of evangelization: with this aim the Archdiocese of Seoul launched a research group ahead of WYD 2027 to “prepare the ground for a youth experience that is truly transformative for young people’s lives”, it said in a statement.
In Seoul, the city preparing to host World Youth Day 2027, the first meetings organized at an intra-ecclesial level and with civil authorities are already taking place to plan the spaces and the reception for the hundreds of thousands of young people who will come from all over the world Korea.
But in addition to the technical and logistical aspects, it is above all the pastoral aspects that are important to the local church, which intends to do everything to ensure “WYD is a deep spiritual experience with a great impact for the young participants”.
The research team, made up of over 40 members, brings together priests, religious and youth in a dynamic that aims to identify the unique contribution of each individual and then synthesize the results to define the spiritual, formative and experiential dimensions of WYD 2027. The team has laid the foundations for a collaborative process that will develop through regular meetings from February to June.
The first meeting served as a crucial moment to begin discussions and in-depth analysis to discuss the youth work journey and establish the basic principles for the next World Youth Day. It is a synod-style preparation: “By bringing together these people of different backgrounds, ages, education and experience, we want to create and promote a space for deep spiritual reflection and collaboration,” explained Father Peter Ju-yul Yang, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee.
“The diverse perspectives and expertise within the research group will enrich our preparations to make World Youth Day in Seoul a transformative experience, a time of conversion and internalization of the Gospel for all participants.”Once Seoul was chosen as the host location for World Youth Day 2027, the archdiocese established a local events committee responsible for coordinating and planning the youth event.
The Committee includes members of the Pastoral Office, the Planning Office, and the Foundation’s Secretariat, which takes care of the administrative aspects. The local Church takes a “proactive approach to laying the foundations for a meaningful and impactful World Youth Day through the proclamation of the Gospel at an existential level in the lives of young people”. – Agenzia Fides
