Pope Francis announced on Sunday at the close of the World Youth Day in Lisbon that the festival would be held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027, the Vatican News reported.
"The next World Youth Day will be in Asia," he said after the concluding Mass.
The pilgrims from across the world received the news with loud cheers.
The Pope's announcement came shortly before the Angelus prayer.
The Pope expressed his gratitude to Lisbon's Cardinal Clemente, the local Church, and the Portuguese people.
"Obrigado [thank you] to the President of the Republic, who has accompanied us during the events of these days; to the national and local institutions for their support and assistance," Pope Francis said.
He also expressed gratitude to Lisbon, Portugal's capital and largest city.
"... these young people will always remember [Lisbon] as a ‘fraternal home’ and ‘city of dreams," he added.
The Pope has also thanked the volunteers and "those who watched over World Youth Day from above, namely the patron saints of the event: especially John Paul II, who brought these World Youth Days to life."
Pope John Paul II started the celebration of World Youth Day in 1985.
"And Obrigado to all of you, dear young people," Pope Francis said. "God sees how good you are. He alone knows what he has sown in your hearts. Please treasure it. I want to say to you: Hold fast to the memory of these days, remembering the best moment."
Seoul's Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick has expressed profound gratitude to the Holy See for choosing his city as the next host of World Youth Day.
"World Youth Day is not just a Catholic event," Soon-taick told reporters in Lisbon. "It is a global celebration and a platform for interreligious encounters. It presents specific beliefs and ideologies, and invites all individuals of goodwill to come together and share fellowship."
Seoul's Soon-taick has promised to support the observance of World Youth Day.
"Our foremost objective is to foster meaningful connections and usher in substantial social and economic gains for young people from around the world. We envision young souls from all corners of the globe converging in Seoul and throughout South Korea," he said.
Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. It is regarded as a global city.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines regards the Pope's announcement as the return of the World Youth Day celebration in Asia.
Manila was the first Asian city to host World Youth Day during the time of Pope John Paul II in 1995.
The recently concluded Catholic festival in Lisbon was the 15th World Youth Day. -Oliver Samson
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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