Towards Seoul 2027, with official WYD prayer inspired by Korean martyrs
Published yesterday, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, the text is the result of a synodal process involving bishops, young people, religious and laity. Inspired by the theme ‘Be courageous: I have conquered the world!’, it recalls Christ's victory, the origins of the Korean Church and the action of the Holy Spirit. It will accompany young people and the universal Church towards the 2027 meeting.
Seoul (AsiaNews) - Oh Holy Spirit, Flame of Love, by your wonderous hand you have sown the seeds of faith in Korea. Kindle the flame of the Korean martyrs’ faith in our hearts, making us into disciples who live out the gospel of peace, love, and truth.
These are some of the verses of the official prayer for World Youth Day Seoul 2027, from 3 to 8 August 2027. The full text was published yesterday, the Solemnity of Christ the King and the 40th Diocesan WYD, by the local organising committee (LOC); it will accompany young people towards the event. It is a spiritual invitation to the universal Church to begin preparations for the 2027 meeting, which follows the large youth gatherings in Lisbon in 2023 and in Tor Vergata (Rome) last August, on the occasion of the Youth Jubilee.
The prayer, inspired by the theme ‘Take courage: I have overcome the world!’ (Jn 16:33), invites us ‘to trust in Christ's eternal victory and to live the Gospel of hope, unity and mercy amid the challenges of today's world,’ according to a statement from the Communications Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul. It is accompanied by the ‘intercession of Our Lady, patroness of Korea, and the patron saints of WYD Seoul 2027’.
The statement from the Archdiocese of Seoul explains that the writing of the prayer is an initiative of the bishops of the local committee, through a process that reflected the synodal identity of the Church. ‘Rather than entrusting the writing of the text to theologians alone, the bishops invited the whole People of God to participate in a shared spiritual experience of writing and discernment,’ it emphasises. It is the result of a two-day retreat, prepared over more than two months by volunteers, priests, young people and adults, including foreigners, living in Seoul. The programme included thematic conferences, prayer and Eucharistic adoration, personal and group reflection, and writing sessions to help participants collectively discern the central elements of the prayer.
A diverse group of 77 people - young people from dioceses and religious communities, international young people residing in Korea, priests, religious men and women, and LOC staff members - took part in the retreat. Through individual meditation, small group writing and a synthesis session, they shaped the draft prayer.
After the retreat, the LOC team refined the provisional text and gathered further feedback through online consultations. The revised draft was reviewed by the bishops and submitted to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, which discussed and approved the text with some amendments during its autumn General Assembly. The prayer was then sent to the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which highlighted the synodal approach and encouraged the LOC to ensure a tone that reflected the voice of young people themselves. After incorporating these changes, the Dicastery formally confirmed the final text.
There are five key themes. First, thanksgiving for God's universal invitation and unconditional love that embraces all young people. Next, entrustment to the Father, who brings young people together in communion and unity. The third is the proclamation of Christ's victory, with an invitation to courage rooted in the Cross. The fourth theme is the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the ‘Flame of Love,’ which recalls the origins of the Korean Church, the witness of the martyrs, and the evangelical values of peace, love, and truth that have emerged from the history of Korean faith. The last is the commitment to the synodal journey, affirming WYD as a pilgrimage towards a Church that listens, discerns, and walks together.
On the importance of the newly released prayer, Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, president of the LOC, observed: "WYD Seoul 2027 will take place at a time when the Church is called to rediscover authentic synodality: walking together, listening and discerning. Korea, with its history rooted in the search for truth, love and peace, offers young people a meaningful place to reflect on the courage we must rekindle in ourselves to pursue these values in solidarity."
Starting from this vision, Father Francis Hee-cheon Lee, director of the LOC Volunteer Department, reiterated how the prayer, developed in collaboration with the Holy See, is intended to accompany the journey towards WYD: ‘My hope is that, by reciting it often, we can open our hearts to the grace that God desires to pour out on the Church in Korea, on our society, on the universal Church and on the whole world.’
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, emphasised the importance of the publication on the Solemnity of Christ the King: "This is, in fact, the day on which all particular Churches celebrate WYD locally each year. I therefore invite young people to unite in communion, in their communities and with their bishops, to raise together the cry for peace, fraternity and hope that the world so badly needs."
The Korean committee ‘hopes that the prayer will be widely used in the years of preparation: in youth meetings, parish and diocesan events, before or after Mass, and during meetings and pastoral moments dedicated to accompanying young people,’ reads the statement from the Archdiocese of Seoul. ‘Communities around the world are invited to open themselves to God's grace and to participate spiritually in the journey leading up to 2027.’
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