The Church has taken its first step toward World Youth Day Seoul 2027 with the release of the official WYD prayer, published by the Local Organising Committee on the Feast of Christ the King.
More than a text, the prayer is an invitation, for young people and the whole Church, to begin preparing their hearts for this global gathering of faith. Rooted in the WYD 2027 theme, “Take courage! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), it points simply and boldly to Jesus Christ as the source of hope in a troubled world.
The prayer thanks God for His love for every young person, entrusts them to the care of the Father, and proclaims Christ’s victory, shown not through power, but through the Cross, love, and forgiveness. It calls on the Holy Spirit, described as the “Flame of Love,” recalling the faith of the Korean martyrs and inviting today’s young people to live the Gospel of peace, truth, and compassion. It also reflects Pope Francis’ call to a “synodal” Church, one that listens, walks together, and learns from one another.
Significantly, the prayer itself was written through a shared, prayerful process involving young people, priests, religious, and lay faithful from Korea and beyond. This collaborative journey reflects what World Youth Day is meant to be: a pilgrimage of faith, not a performance.
World Youth Day began in the 1980s when young people responded in huge numbers to Saint John Paul II’s invitation to gather in Rome. Since then, it has become one of the Church’s most powerful signs of hope, reminding the world that young people are not the Church of tomorrow, but the Church of today.
As we look toward Seoul in 2027, this prayer invites us all, especially those who feel unsure, distant, or searching, to take courage, trust Christ, and walk together in hope.
