Youth, Church, Hope.
A musical gathering towards World Youth Day Seoul 2027

Press release - For the third consecutive year, the John Paul II Foundation for Youth, an instrumental body of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, is organising a meeting to present the Foundation's planned activities in the service of young people and youth ministry, with the aim of promoting a culture of listening and support for young people in the Church and in the world.

On Friday, 21 November, at 6:30 p.m., in the enchanting setting of the Hungarian Academy in Rome, the 2025 meeting will take place on the theme "Youth, Church, Hope. A Musical Encounter: towards WYD Seoul 2027.‘ The date chosen is significant – and not coincidental – as it is only two days before World Youth Day (WYD) at the local level, which will be celebrated next Sunday, the Solemnity of Christ the King, in all local Churches on the theme ’You also bear witness, because you are with me."

‘Our activity for next year,’ says the President of the Foundation, Daniele Bruno, "is, as always, in support of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, to walk together on a path that bears witness: testimony of how people from different worlds (the Roman Curia, institutions and associations, movements and people from civil society) can come together to offer spaces where young people can learn to experience fraternity and courage, which are so necessary to face the challenges of the present time and which are the central themes of the international edition of WYD Seoul 2027."

The evening will be hosted by Lorena Bianchetti, a well-known face on Italian television and presenter of the programme A Sua Immagine on Rai 1, and will feature a classical music concert performed by the Wiener Mozart Orchester, conducted by Brazilian Maestro Vinicius Kattah, with Italian soprano Cinzia Zanovello. With the concert, the Foundation will offer guests a journey through the various countries that have hosted the international editions of World Youth Day: from Brazil to Germany, from Argentina to Poland, passing through Panama and Portugal, to a tribute to traditional Korean music.

The event will be attended by Rev. Fr. András Törő, Rector of the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute; Dr. Krisztina Lantos, Advisor to the Hungarian Minister of Innovation and Culture; Rev. Fr. Jun Gui Choi, Rector of the Catholic University of Korea; Dr. Gleison De Paula Souza, Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and Mr. Daniele Bruno, President of the John Paul II Foundation for Youth, who will greet the guests. In addition, Dr. László Berényi, Interim Director of the Academy, will also welcome the guests.

The guests, representatives of the Vatican and Italian institutions, businesses and Catholic associations, will actively participate, motivated by a common desire to promote youth ministry and concretely support the Universal Church in its mission.

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USEFUL INFORMATION

The Wiener Mozart Orchester has been considered an ambassador of Viennese classical music for decades and represents the highest level of musical excellence. Founded in 1984, it has become one of Austria's most renowned orchestras, appreciated for its authentic interpretations of Mozart, Strauss and their contemporaries. With a carefully selected ensemble of extraordinary musicians, the Wiener Mozart Orchester captures the elegance, charm and splendour of Vienna's musical heritage and brings it to life for audiences around the world.

The Hungarian Academy in Rome represents an important meeting point between Hungarian and Italian culture. Its mission, in particular, takes shape through the organisation of numerous cultural events in the prestigious Palazzo Falconieri, the Academy's headquarters. All the activities promoted have the primary objective of cultivating the consolidated friendship between the two nations through the promotion of their characteristic values.