More than 900 young people were present during the inauguration ceremony of the World Youth Day 2027, which is set to be held in Seoul, South Korea.
Held at the Myeongdong Cathedral on July 28, the event signals the beginning of the official preparations for the Catholic Church’s biggest youth gathering.
The Kick-Off Ceremony was led by Seoul Archbishop Chung Soon-taek, who also serves as Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the WYD Seoul 2027.
In his message, the prelate said that the preparation process for WYD is a good opportunity for young people to become “miracle makers.”
“The church wants to prepare a 'stage for young people…’ where they become the protagonists for the young people of this age,” he said.
"The miracle of one person changing and our community changing, we want to experience through our preparation and [the] Seoul World Youth Day,” he also said.
The inauguration ceremony also featured a flag parade, with 193 flags of different nations brought by young Koreans and international participants into the cathedral.
A puzzle ceremony was also held, where young people put together flags of various countries to form the words “WYD SEOUL 2027.”
Furthermore, the potential economic impact of the upcoming event was also presented during the ceremony, as per data from a study conducted by the KDI School of Public Policy and Management.
WYD’s economic ripple effect in Seoul and nearby regions is projected at KRW 11.3698 trillion in production impacts and KRW 1.5908 trillion in value-added effects.
In addition, 24,725 jobs are estimated to be created during this international gathering.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by a Holy Mass, presided over by Seoul Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.
During the Eucharistic celebration, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Korea Archbishop Giovanni Gasparri and Undersecretary of the Pontifical Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life Dr. Gleison De Paula Souza delivered messages of encouragement.
Other distinguished guests in attendance include Jeon Kwang-sam, Senior Secretary of Civil Social Affairs; Yong Ho-sung, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; 19 members of the National Assembly; and nine members of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
In September, Pope Francis will announce the official logo and theme for the WYD Seoul 2027.
In November, the WYD symbols will be handed over to South Korea.
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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