Pope Leo XIV invited young people from around the world on Thursday, October 22, the liturgical memorial of Saint John Paul II, to register for World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul, which will be held in South Korea from August 3 to 8, 2027. He did so through a video message broadcast by Vatican News on the occasion of the official opening of registrations.
The Pontiff encouraged young people to experience the gathering as more than a tourist trip, describing it as a “pilgrimage of faith, friendship, and hope.”
“Bring to that pilgrimage all that you are and all that you have in your heart: your dreams, desires, and hopes, as well as your wounds and difficulties,” he urged them.
Leo XIV assured that in Seoul the Lord awaits each of the participants, calls them by name, and wishes to renew their hope. He also expressed his desire that the gathering leave “happy memories and friendships that last a lifetime.”
The call of Saint John Paul II
The opening of registrations coincided with the liturgical memorial of Saint John Paul II, promoter of the World Youth Days.
In his message, Leo XIV recalled one of the best-known exhortations of the Polish pontiff: “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!”
The next edition of WYD will be the first to be held during the pontificate of Leo XIV and will mark the return of this gathering to Asia, where it has not been organized since the World Youth Day in Manila in 1995.
How to register for WYD Seoul
Registrations are now open through the official website of WYD Seoul 2027.
The process is organized mainly by groups of pilgrims, preferably through parishes, dioceses, movements, and ecclesial communities. The registration form is available in Spanish and five other languages.
Leo XIV’s first WYD
The choice of Seoul as the host city for World Youth Day 2027 was announced by Pope Francis on August 6, 2023, during the WYD in Lisbon.
Since then, the Local Organizing Committee has advanced the preparations for the gathering, with the presentation of the official WYD prayer and the announcement of its five patron saints.
Preparations were also present in the audience that Leo XIV granted in June to the President of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung.
Now, with the opening of registrations, a new stage begins in the preparation of the event that will bring together young Catholics from around the world in the South Korean capital.
The Pope concluded his video message with a personal invitation to future pilgrims: “I hope to see you in Seoul.”