The Korean Catholic newspapers reported the interview with Cardinal Américo Aguiar, 2023 Lisbon WYD Organizing Committee Chair, in Seoul Korea on December 21st. "WYD Seoul 2027’ will be the greatest ever… We must spread the word about WYD boldly until the very end.”
“Young people around the world are showing great interest in Korea. That’s why I am confident that the 2027 World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul will be the greatest ever. Young visitors to Korea will become ‘witnesses’ who testify about what they experience in this country.”
Cardinal Américo Aguiar, former Chair of the 2023 Lisbon WYD Organizing Committee, visited Seoul on December 21. He came to observe the Korean Church’s preparations for WYD firsthand and to share his experiences as an organizing committee chair.
Cardinal Aguiar said, “The global community is paying attention to the upcoming Seoul WYD because the Korean Church is a church built on the blood of martyrs and started by laypeople,” adding, “Portuguese youth will also have the opportunity to visit Korea to see and learn how the Korean Church conducts youth and young adult ministry.”
Cardinal Aguiar also emphasized that laypeople need to actively participate in preparing the event. He stated, “As Pope Francis has consistently stressed, laypeople must play a central role in WYD according to the spirit of synodality,” explaining, “In the past, team leaders in the Portuguese Church were all priests, but in preparing for WYD, we encouraged laypeople’s participation, and more than 20,000 lay staff and volunteers played a key role in the event.”
He emphasized the importance of broad promotion of WYD. It is necessary to continuously and widely spread the fact that the Seoul WYD will be held. WYD is a festival for all young people. We must go and invite even those who do not know about this event until the very end.”
Cardinal Aguiar recalled that there were difficulties in generating social consensus in Portugal regarding hosting the event during the Lisbon WYD. He said, “There were even those who opposed holding the event in Lisbon itself,” and added, “But we kept explaining to them what this event was and what it meant, and by inviting them to the event instead, we broadened the consensus. Another challenge was that Pope Francis’ invitation needed to reach all young people,” and advised, “Because not everyone knows about the WYD event, it is absolutely necessary to promote Seoul WYD both technically and strategically even before the event begins.”
Cardinal Aguiar also extended words of encouragement to the young people of the Korean Church preparing for Seoul WYD as the ‘next generation’ following Portuguese youth. “Preparing for such a large event requires bold courage. God will give the youth of Korea the strength to overcome difficulties. Like the theme verse of Seoul WYD, ‘Take courage; I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33), I hope you do not lose courage and walk together until the end.”
This is the second World Youth Day held in Asia but the first in a predominately non-Catholic Country.
No comments:
Post a Comment