World Youth Day 2027 Congress Presented in Seoul

The John Paul II Youth Foundation presented the 5th World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 Conference in Seoul, entitled: “Young People and Fraternity: The Challenge of Courageous Co-Responsibility”.

The conference will take place on 2 August 2027 at Omnibus Park on the Songeui Campus of the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, the day before the 41st World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul from 3 to 8 August 2027.

The presentation of the WYD 2027 Conference took place in Seoul during the International Preparatory Meeting for World Youth Day, which is being held in Incheon, Seoul, from 14 to 17 September, organised by the Seoul WYD Local Organising Committee (LOC) in collaboration with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

Presented by Paul Metzlaff, vice-president of the Foundation, the fifth edition of the WYD 2027 Conference will address important themes such as “Courage for the Truth: Courage to Proclaim Christ”, “Courage for Love: Care for Creation”, “Courage for Love: Promotion of Life and Social Friendship”, “Courage for Peace”, “Courage for Love: the Economy”, “Courage for Love: Mental Health” and “Courage in Scientific Research”.

During the presentation, a new feature of this edition was also unveiled: a questionnaire to be sent to young representatives from every continent, covering the various themes to be discussed in the conference panels, with a view to stimulating discussion and dialogue on these issues. The results of the questionnaire will be presented by the young people themselves and will form the basis for drafting the customary Youth Manifesto, which is then presented to the Holy Father.

Once again this year, therefore, as in previous editions, young people will play a leading role in the preparation and running of the conference.

For this reason, Metzlaff has invited all youth ministry coordinators and delegates, who are gathered at present to prepare for next year’s World Youth Day, to send young representatives to the event on 2 August. Each nation will thus be represented by its own young experts and enthusiasts in areas such as the care of creation, fraternity and interreligious dialogue.

The programme for the 2027 Conference includes an opening address by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, and by a representative of the Secretariat of the Synod.

Metzlaff announced that among the numerous speakers, who will include young experts and researchers, academics and representatives of civil society, there will also be Denis Mukwege, a doctor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, as well as representatives from Sumsindang, a major Korean business organisation, to demonstrate that peace is not an abstract concept, but rather the concrete courage to defend human dignity even in the most dramatic situations; and that fraternity and corporate profit can go hand in hand, whilst placing sharing, reciprocity and care for the most vulnerable at the heart of one’s mission.

Particular attention will also be given to the voices of young Lebanese people. Their presence will be a tangible testimony to fraternity, resilience and hope, coming from a country marked by profound difficulties, yet also by extraordinary religious and cultural richness.

The presentation provided an opportunity to introduce the Foundation’s important partnership with SACRU, the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities, the international network of Catholic research universities dedicated to academic excellence, global cooperation and the common good.

The conference will take place thanks to the Catholic University of Korea, which will host it at its campus and is the initiative’s main academic and cultural partner, and with the support of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

Other members of the technical and scientific committee organising the 2027 conference include the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Focolare Movement, the Italian Bishops’ Conference and other organisations from both the Church and civil society.

(Group Photo: WYD Seoul 2027 LOC)