by Clyde Ericson Nolasco
A year after Lisbon and the announcement of the next host country for World Youth Day (WYD), the Vatican has released the theme and logo for WYD 2027, which will take place in Seoul, South Korea.
Take Courage! I Have Overcome the World
Each WYD has a theme that serves as the overarching spirit of the gathering. For the next WYD in South Korea, the Vatican announced the theme will be: “Take Courage! I Have Overcome the World.” Taken from the Gospel of John’s “farewell discourse,” the verse speaks of Jesus preparing His disciples to endure His passion and death, with the promise of resurrection.
Meanwhile, the mini-WYD that will take place next year in Rome as part of the Jubilee celebrations will use the theme from John 15:27: “You Also Are My Witnesses, Because You Have Been With Me.”
Each year, WYD is celebrated in local dioceses, while a grand gathering of youth outside of Rome occurs every three years—except for 2023, which was delayed due to the pandemic.
Some Korean delegates during WYD Lisbon in 2023.
Red, Blue, and Yellow
Inspired by traditional Korean brushstroke techniques, the logo features a cross in red and blue with stylized black letters spelling “WYD.”
Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul and general coordinator of WYD Seoul, explained: “The red and blue colors symbolize Christ’s triumphant victory over the world. The left element, reaching upward, signifies God in Heaven, while the right element, pointing downward, symbolizes Earth, illustrating the fulfillment of God’s will on Earth through their unity.”
He added, “Additionally, the red on one side of the cross symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, harmonizing with the empowering theme, 'Take Courage.' The blue represents the vitality of youth and symbolizes God’s calling. Together, these colors echo the Taegeuk pattern on the Korean flag.”
He continued, “Finally, the yellow color that shines behind the cross represents Christ, who is the 'Light of the World.'”
As such, we expect that WYD Seoul will focus on themes of “witnessing” and “having courage” in proclaiming God’s immense love.
WYD 2027 in Seoul will set a record as the second time an Asian country will host WYD, after Manila in 1995. It will also be the first time the event is hosted by a country that is predominantly non-Catholic.
photos by Clyde Ericson Nolasco during WYD Lisbon 2023
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