Taipei (AsiaNews) - On Sunday, 10 August, more than 100 young Taiwanese travelled to South Korea to take part in Asian Youth Day (AYD). Pope Francis will be in Korea to pray and share this wonderful experience with the thousands of young people who will join him.
One of the guides of the Taiwanese group is Josef Cho Sung-jae (趙 晟 宰 修士), a young Korean seminarian who was ordained deacon in Taipei in June. Now that he speaks fluent Chinese, he is in touch with hundreds of young Taiwanese and will accompany them during their stay in Korea.
"It will certainly be a wonderful experience. The pope is so popular and loved. Everyone wants to meet him and talk to him, but above all pray with him and all the other young people who want to take part in this moment in order to wonder about their future and give hope to many of their friends. The way of the Gospel is so full of life and values that it has become contagious, especially for those in vocational research or searching for a deeper meaning than many other superficial messages."
For Jessica (陳瑞梅), this is her first experience abroad. "My brother told me about the meeting in Rio, which was very motivating for him. I am glad of this opportunity. I will meet many of my peers from different backgrounds."
Sister Zhuang (莊 修女) is equally enthusiastic. "These events help to build community life. Here in Taiwan we have a solid Christian tradition, and the presence of the Church has always been oriented to helping the most disadvantaged, minority groups and the of the voiceless. The message and witness of Pope Francis in this respect are exemplary and engaging for our young people."
A good number of Catholics who participated in past World Youth Days now have a job and a salary. For this reason, they are paying the cost of participation for new students who want to immerse themselves in the experience itself.
"Thanks to this organisation, the tradition can continue and the new young people can be involved in more international experience with the Church," Josef said. "Relying on them and on their enthusiasm, can infect many other newcomers in the years to come."
