World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Pope urges young Catholics to bring their concerns to Seoul youth gathering
Pope Leo XIV has invited young Catholics to bring their questions and pain to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea.
The international gathering is scheduled for Aug.
3 to 8, and the pope says he looks forward to meeting participants there.
It will be the first World Youth Day held in South Korea and the second in Asia, after Manila hosted the event in 1995.
Leo said young people may feel anxious about the future or pressure to appear perfect, especially because of social media and technology.
He said technology cannot replace real human closeness and urged young people to prepare for the gathering by opening themselves to Christ.
The event will bring young people from different nations and cultures together, and Leo is due to visit South Korea for the first time since becoming pope.
Pope Leo XIV urged young Catholics to bring their questions and wounds to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul.
The international gathering is scheduled for Aug. 3-8, 2027.
Leo said young people should also bring concerns about divisions in their societies and between countries.
He said technology cannot replace authentic human closeness and urged young people to prepare their hearts for the event.
The gathering will be the first World Youth Day in South Korea and the second in Asia.
- Who
- Pope Leo XIV urged young Catholics to attend.
- What
- World Youth Day 2027 will bring young people from different nations, languages and cultures together.
- When
- Aug. 3-8, 2027.
- Where
- Seoul, South Korea.
- Why
- The gathering will let young people experience the universal Church and come together across national and cultural differences.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
World Youth Day was held in Manila, the previous time the gathering took place in Asia.
Yonhap reported that Pope Leo XIV had encouraged young Catholics to attend the Seoul gathering.
World Youth Day is scheduled to take place in Seoul.
- Pope
- Leo XIV
- Event
- World Youth Day 2027
- Dates
- Aug. 3-8, 2027
- Location
- Seoul, South Korea
- Previous Asian gathering
- Manila, 1995
What people are saying
Bring to Christ your questions and your wounds but also the wounds that tear apart your societies and set your countries against one another
Do not wait until you are perfect before opening yourselves to him. He comes to meet you just as you are.
When we gather in Seoul, you will experience in a special way the beauty of the universal Church and the generous hospitality of the Church in Korea