The Catholic University Pastoral Research Institute, in collaboration with the WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee (LOC), held the 29th Academic Symposium titled “The Youth and the Church of Our Time, and WYD Seoul 2027,” on November 15.

The event brought together scholars and pastoral leaders alongside an especially large group of young adults from across the country. According to registration data, more than half of all participants were youth, many in their 20s and 30s, joined by seminarians, clergy, religious, and lay ministers—a broad presence that reflected the Church’s deepening commitment to understanding the lived realities and spiritual needs of young people today.

This year’s symposium also welcomed representatives from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life—Fr. Franco Galdino, Carlotta Marani, and Alexander Bothe—who were in Seoul for a week-long onsite meeting with the LOC as part of the preparations for WYD Seoul 2027. Their presence underscored the close collaborative relationship between the Holy See and the Korean Church in shaping the upcoming global event.

A notable feature of this symposium was its commitment to synodal listening and collaboration. In the academic presentations, the formal commentaries were intentionally cross-generational: a young lay scholar offered the response to a priest-researcher, while a priest provided the commentary for a lay youth presenter. This format served as a beautiful example of mutual listening and cooperation that transcends age and vocation within the Church. Following the presentations, participants engaged in group discussions, bringing together individuals from different ages and backgrounds to share perspectives and discern hopes for the future of the Church.

Opening Address by Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee

The symposium opened with an address from Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee, General Coordinator of the WYD Seoul 2027 LOC. In his remarks, Bishop Lee noted:

“This symposium holds special meaning because it brings young people and the wider Church together in a seminary lecture hall ordinarily used for priestly formation—yet today opened to reflect on the lives of our youth. By gathering the whole Church to openly confront the realities facing young people and to seek solutions together, this symposium already carries profound significance for our community.”

He further emphasized the pastoral importance of grounding WYD preparations in real listening and discernment: “I believe that this time of reflecting on the lives and faith of young people—who are the heart and future of the Church—and listening to their voices will be a precious foundation as we prepare for WYD.”

Presentation I: Diagnosing the Youth of Our Time

• At the heart of the symposium was the first presentation, delivered by Rev. Martin Kyu-hyun Jung, which presented the findings of the Preliminary Perception Study on Youth for WYD Seoul 2027—one of the most comprehensive youth studies undertaken by the Korean Catholic Church in recent decades. Large-scale or in-depth research on youth has long been limited within the Church, making this survey a significant milestone for Korea’s pastoral landscape.

• The study included a quantitative survey of 1,973 general youth and 2,278 Catholic youth, along with qualitative research involving 10 youth panels and 2 panels of youth ministry experts. Drawing from this substantial dataset, the presentation examined how both Catholic and non-religious youth understand society, navigate ethical questions, and form their value systems, offering an unprecedented empirical foundation for future youth ministry.

Presentation II: Insights from the Vatican’s International Youth Advisory Body

The second presentation, delivered by Dr. Ji-woon Lee, offered insights from the Vatican’s International Youth Advisory Body (IYAB). Through reflections grounded in her involvement with the IYAB, Dr. Lee conveyed how young Catholics around the world are interpreting current social and ecclesial realities and how they view the upcoming WYD Seoul 2027, providing participants with a vivid and globally informed perspective.

Presentation III: Youth Anxiety in the Age of WYD 2027

The third presentation, led by Na-kyung Cecilia Im and Ji-hye Lucia Jang—young volunteers from the LOC Spirituality Team who also served as youth delegates on the research team—centered on the emotional, social, and spiritual challenges facing young people today. By sharing candid reflections on contemporary youth anxieties and the questions they bring to their faith, the presenters invited the Church to reflect more deeply on the pastoral responses and accompaniment needed in this time.

Archbishop Chung’s Encouragement Message

• Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, Chair of the WYD Seoul 2027 LOC, also offered words of encouragement, emphasizing the importance of understanding the realities young people face today. “Across the world—not only in Korea—young people are navigating an era of rapid technological change,” he noted. “While new forms of connection have emerged, many also experience isolation. In this environment, the hopes and dreams of young people hold immense value for the future of the Church, and we must accompany and support them with care.”

• He expressed gratitude to the presenters, researchers, and young participants, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to long-term pastoral renewal. “Through World Youth Day, we have been able to examine the challenges facing our young people and reflect together,” he said. “A symposium like this cannot provide every solution at once, but recognizing reality, discerning together, and working side by side in faith—this is the very journey of synodality.”

Looking Ahead to WYD Seoul 2027

• The symposium served as a meaningful milestone in the Korean Church’s journey toward WYD Seoul 2027. By bringing research findings, pastoral experience, and youth voices into one shared forum, the event offered the Church a clearer understanding of the challenges and hopes shaping the lives of today’s young people.

• Participants affirmed that these insights will play a crucial role in guiding the spiritual, pastoral, and organizational direction of WYD Seoul 2027. As preparations continue, the Church expressed its commitment to listening attentively, responding faithfully, and walking with young people as “the heart and future of the Church,” echoing Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee’s conviction that this work must become “a precious foundation” for the year ahead.

• The symposium concluded with renewed resolve to ensure that WYD Seoul 2027 becomes not only a global celebration of faith but also a transformative moment of encounter, healing, and mission for the youth of Korea and the world.