Latest news with #WYD
Herald Malaysia
3 days ago
- General
- Herald Malaysia
WYD organisers host gratitude night for volunteers with Marian ceremony
A symbolic May Crowning and fellowship event celebrated the dedication of World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 volunteers with prayer, gratitude, and joyful community gathering. Jun 06, 2025 Bishop Paul Kyeong-sang Lee poses with over 150 volunteers of the WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organising Committee after the May Crowning and Fellowship Night held on May 24, 2025, at the LOC office courtyard in Seoul. SEOUL: A symbolic May Crowning and fellowship event celebrated the dedication of World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 volunteers with prayer, gratitude, and joyful community gathering. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 hosted around 150 volunteers on May 24 for an evening of Marian devotion and fellowship at its headquarters in Seoul. The event opened with the May Crowning, presided over by Bishop Paul Kyeong-sang Lee, general coordinator of the WYD Seoul 2027 LOC. Participants offered roses to the Virgin Mary — each flower representing a spiritual intention: communications, humbleness, enthusiasm, trustful surrender, and devout faith. 'This symbolic act allowed them to express what they hoped to cultivate spiritually through their work in preparation for WYD,' the LOC said in a statement. In his brief address, Bishop Lee praised the volunteers' contributions. 'Your dedication is the living spirit of WYD. Every prayer, every effort you've offered is a seed of grace,' he said. 'May you never forget that the work you do here is building not just an event, but a generation rooted in Christ,' he added. At 6.00pm, the celebration transitioned to Fellowship Night, where ten priests traded their clerical wear for aprons and served food and drinks to volunteers. Bishop Lee joined the gathering, engaging with volunteers at every table. The night ended with a lucky draw, capping off an evening marked by faith, appreciation, and strengthened bonds among those working toward WYD Seoul 2027. --LiCAS News
Korea Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
New Pope Leo XIV likely to visit Korea in 2027
Seoul awaits fourth papal visit in 2027 as host of World Youth Day Following tradition, it is highly likely that newly elected Pope Leo XIV will visit South Korea with Seoul confirmed as the host city for World Youth Day 2027. The visit may also rekindle hopes for a historic papal trip to North Korea — something that remained unfulfilled under Pope Francis. On May 8, the Vatican's conclave elected Pope Leo XIV, an American-born prelate with experience in Latin America and a background in missionary work. Born Robert Francis Prevost, he is 69 years old. If Pope Leo attends the 2027 WYD, it would mark the fourth papal visit to the country and the first since Pope Francis' five-day trip in 2014. Pope Francis confirmed Seoul as the next WYD host during the 2023 event in Lisbon, making Korea the second Asian country to stage the event after the Philippines in 1995. World Youth Day, the Catholic Church's largest global gathering of young people, was launched in 1986 under Pope John Paul II and often draws hundreds of thousands from across continents to a single host city. By custom, the pope always attends. Amid preparations for the event, attention is also turning to the long-standing question of whether the new pope will visit North Korea. During his tenure, Pope Francis repeatedly expressed interest in visiting Pyongyang, even responding positively to an invitation conveyed through then-President Moon Jae-in. But with US-North Korea talks faltering and inter-Korean dialogue frozen, the trip never materialized. Preparations are already under way for the 2027 WYD. The Archdiocese of Seoul anticipates between 400,000 to 800,000 participants, including tens of thousands of overseas pilgrims. Organizers are mapping out venues, accommodation, security protocols and outreach strategies to ensure the capital can accommodate one of the largest religious gatherings in its history.
