Young Catholics from around the world are one year away from gathering in Seoul, South Korea, for World Youth Day 2027, Aug. 3-8, 2027.
The event will be the 41st international World Youth Day and only the second time the global gathering has been held in Asia, following Manila, Philippines, in 1995. Pope Leo XIV is expected to join young pilgrims in Seoul as they continue the journey that began at World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023.
To mark the one-year countdown, organizers released the official World Youth Day 2027 theme song, “Confidite, Ego Vici Mundum,” which translates as “Take courage! I have overcome the world” from John 16:33. The theme points young people toward the courage that comes from Christ’s victory and continues the spiritual journey through the themes of the 2025 Jubilee Year and the years following Lisbon. The Vatican described the journey toward Seoul as an opportunity for
In the months leading up to the main event, pilgrims will have opportunities to participate in the traditional “Days in the Diocese,” July 29-Aug. 2, staying with Catholic communities throughout South Korea before traveling to Seoul. Preparations also include a nationwide pilgrimage of the World Youth Day symbols and a special “Cross of Peace” made with barbed wire from the Korean Demilitarized Zone, symbolizing the hope for reconciliation and peace on the divided peninsula.
With the countdown now underway, Seoul is preparing to welcome a new generation of pilgrims to experience the faith, culture and witness of the Korean Church — and to discover what it means to have courage in Christ.
