Pope Francis to Join AYD 2014 in S. Korea

The Asian Youth Day (AYD) 2014 is set to happen this August 10 to 17 in the Diocese of Daejon, South Korea. The invitation is addressed to the youth who will be coming together from different Asian countries. The event enables young people to gather in formation programs and plan their future spiritual lives. It also aims to provide an opportunity for Catholic youth to explore and renew their faith so that they can share the Gospel with others through the work of justice and peace.

There are three (3) general objectives of Asian Youth Day: first, to remember the roots of our faith; second, to re-discover our faith; and lastly, to walk along with Jesus and the martyrs as witnesses in today’s world.

According to the Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY), an office taking care of the concerns of the youth under the umbrella of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP),  in the past Asian Youth Day celebrations, the Philippines was able to send quite a good number of delegates to the Asian Youth Day.

In 1999, there were 64 delegates sent to Hua-Hin, Thailand; 16 delegates in Taipei, Taiwan last 2001; 13 delegates in Bangalore, India last 2003; and 65 delegates in Hong Kong, China last 2006.

The 5th AYD, held in 2009, was hosted by the Philippines. The CBCP-ECY, together with the FABC-OLF-YD and the Diocese of Imus, organized it.  Eight hundred seventy-eight (878)  Filipino youth and youth ministers  joined the  the Philippine Delegation.

Last March 10, 2014, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis will visit South Korea this August for the said gathering of young people from 29 countries and beatify 124 martyrs.

“Welcoming the invitation from the President of the Republic and the Korean bishops, His       Holiness Francis will make an Apostolic Trip to the Republic of Korea from 14 to 18 August 2014, on the occasion of the Sixth Asian Youth Day, to be held in the diocese of Daejon,”       the Vatican said in a statement.” (P. Lamanilao)

It will be his first trip to Asia as Pope.

Roughly 10 percent of the population of South Korea is composed of Catholic population. Blessed Pope John Paul II had visited the country twice. The number of Catholics has grown by around 3 percent per annum for the past 11 years, according to a Church data.

Located in the center of Korea, Daejeon serves as a hub of transportation. Major expressways and railways connecting the country from the north to south converge in Daejeon. With this wonderful transportation network, it is possible to travel to anywhere in the country within half a day from Daejeon — making it one of the best accessible venues for AYD especially from international delegates.