“Anywhere the pope goes, he seeks out the young
and the young seek him out.
Actually, in truth, it is not the pope who is being sought out at all.
The one being sought out is Christ.”[1]
On November 24, 2024, at the end of the celebration of the Solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica, a delegation of Korean youth received the symbols of World Youth Day (WYD) from a delegation of Portuguese youth. With the handing over of the cross and the icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani, the symbols of WYD began a long pilgrimage, which will take them all the way to Seoul. As this pilgrimage begins, it seems appropriate to reflect on the country and the Church that will host the upcoming World Youth Day.
Hosting World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul in 2027 presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Church in Korea. Until now, WYD has always been held in Europe and the Americas, with the exception of Australia (2008) and the Philippines (1995). However, as English is an official language in the Philippines, Korea will be the first non-western-language-speaking country to host the event. More significantly, this will be the first WYD to be held in a country where Christians are not the majority of the population.
The Korean Church has proven its ability to host large-scale events successfully. In 1981 it arranged the imposing celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Korea by Pope Gregory XVI.[2] Since then, it has organized several important gatherings, including the 200th anniversary of the Korean Church with the canonization of 103 martyrs in 1984, the World Eucharistic Congress in 1989, and the beatification of 124 martyrs in 2014 during the apostolic voyage of Pope Francis to the Republic of Korea. The Church has demonstrated its competence in organizing, administrating, and mobilizing for such major events. Korea itself also has extensive experience hosting international events of global significance, such as the Olympics in 1988.
However, a successful WYD is not just about efficiently organizing a large-scale event or drawing in a large number of participants. The ultimate goal of all Church activities, including WYD, is evangelization, which is the raison d’être of the Church. Evangelization means “making the kingdom of God present in the world.”[3] An evangelizing Church works to improve the living conditions of all people, transforming the “temporal order” in accordance with the Gospel.[4] It engages with socio-political, economic and ecological structures. In this context, a WYD should be oriented toward evangelization which includes the integral flourishing of humanity.
Furthermore, attending WYD in Seoul from abroad will require air travel, which results in significant carbon emissions. Therefore, it is essential that Seoul WYD serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about this and encourage an “ecological conversion.” In addition, Seoul WYD should contribute to the global Church by sharing the rich heritage of the Korean Church, beyond just popular music (K-pop). Thus, the success of WYD 2027 depends on the evangelization that will animate the preparation, the event itself and the following stage of reflection.
With these considerations, the article is divided into two parts. First, it contextualizes WYD 2027 by briefly examining studies on such events, while also reflecting on the broader contexts of both the universal and Korean Churches. It then explores how the Korean Church can contribute to the universal Church through WYD and what it stands to gain from this experience, bearing in mind the Church’s fundamental mission.
The Context of WYD 2027
Since its first occurrence in 1984, WYD has evolved into a global event that has captured the attention of countries, the media and the academic world. In the late 20th century, when many in the West believed modern societies were more and more secular in focus, and that religion was being relegated to the private sphere, with younger generations turning away, the large youth turnout at WYDs was surprising. Despite being a religious event, WYD attracted interest beyond the Church, particularly among academics. Scholars explored questions like: What draws young people to WYD? What do they experience, and what does it mean for the Church and the world? Research on these topics spans the fields of theology, anthropology, sociology and media studies, and can be grouped into three main thematic approaches.
1) The first theme explores WYD within the framework of secularization and evangelization.[5] This approach views WYD as a creative response to new evangelization efforts, emerging in the context of a secularizing West, where the younger generation has increasingly distanced itself from the Church. This perspective emphasizes the innovative dimension of the WYD. It means successfully making space for the traditional aspects of Catholicism (such as crucifixes, icons and catechesis activities) by expressing it in forms (pilgrimages, festivals and cultural events) that suit the sensibilities of young people and by promoting “events.” The Church has historically celebrated faith and piety, not only through liturgy, but also in the form of events, such as the Corpus Christi procession. Charles Taylor, the influential philosopher and author of A Secular Age (2007), has observed that the WYD appeals to youth by aligning with the “age of authenticity,” an era where meaning is sought through personal experience rather than institutional affiliation.[6]
2) The second theme focuses on the communal experience of WYD participants.[7] Attending WYD does not involve a comfortable journey but is a pilgrimage, often marked by physical challenges and material obstacles. Yet this pilgrimage is transformative for both the young participants and the host families who welcome them, creating opportunities for shared experiences that deepen their understanding of identity, values and the Christian faith. This mirrors what Victor Turner, a cultural anthropologist, calls deep communitas – a community and equality that transcends social hierarchies and everyday obligations.[8] WYD embodies this kind of experience. First, young people participating in WYD form a community where they share the same faith journey, establishing equal relationships regardless of nationality, language, social class, cultural background or status. Second, many young participants experience spiritual and religious transformations, which can be described as what Turner calls the liminal stage, a transitional phase where change occurs in a context different from daily life. Although participants eventually return to their everyday lives, the deep communitas they experience during WYD can have lasting effects, shaping their worldview, faith and values.
3) The third theme considers WYD from the aspect of globalization and Catholic world citizenship.[9] Since the late 20th century, globalization – driven by the end of the Cold War, market integration, and the rise of digital technology – has created a world that is more interconnected yet rife with disparities. This global reality presents both opportunities and challenges for the Catholic Church. While globalization fosters connections across borders, it also exacerbates inequalities and can deepen feelings of alienation. The popes have consistently advocated for global solidarity, criticizing the “globalization of indifference,” and urged a conversion in response to the ecological crisis. In this context, WYD is seen as a “school” where young Catholics learn what it means to be global citizens of the Church. At WYDs, pilgrims experience cultural diversity, form friendships with people from other nations, and engage in discussions about common global issues such as peace, poverty and environmental sustainability. Through this engagement, they begin to see the Church as universal and global beyond the boundaries of a local parish.
The Context of the Church
At the beginning of the 21st century, the center of the Catholic Church was shifting from Europe to the Global South, a shift symbolized by the 2013 election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from that region of the globe. The center of the Church – at least demographically – is no longer in Europe but has diversified into regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia.[10] Over the past decade, since his inauguration, Pope Francis has urged the Church to move toward the peripheries, and he himself has frequently visited Asia and Africa. The number of cardinals from these regions has also significantly increased. This shift is appropriate not only from the evangelical perspective of reaching the “peripheries” but also from the practical reality that as the center of the Church moves demographically, these emerging young vibrant Churches must become a priority for pastoral vision. The theologian Karl Rahner once reflected that the Second Vatican Council marked the beginning of a new phase for the Church, transcending its former Eurocentric model to become a truly world Church.[11] Rahner’s insights into the Council’s significance still resonate today as we witness the Church’s evolving geographical and cultural landscape. The historian of religion Massimo Faggioli refers to the current papacy as “liminal,” noting that it is emblematic of the Church’s transition toward a more globally inclusive Catholicity.[12]
In this context, the Korean Catholic Church occupies a unique and significant position. Korea’s role in the universal Church is somewhat reflective of Korea’s role in the world. Over the past half-century, Korea has transitioned from a post-colonial, developing country to a developed one. Economically, it has grown from poverty to prosperity. Politically, it has established a democratic system, characterized by “democratization from below,” setting it apart from its East Asian neighbors. Culturally, Korea has moved from being a consumer of western culture to an exporter of its own. Having experienced both poverty and wealth, authoritarian regimes and democratic governments, as a post-colonial state, Korea can be historically positioned to mediate dialogue and pursue peace and the common good. Korea’s unique experiences make it well-suited to serve as a bridge-builder between the Global South and the Global North, and between East and West.
The Korean Church’s role in the global Catholic Church reflects this dynamic. Unlike many Asian countries, Korea was influenced not by Western colonialism but by Japan’s, and Catholicism has successfully established itself as a mainstream religion in Korean society, alongside Protestantism. In the first half of the 20th century, Western missionaries focused heavily on China and Japan, often overlooking Korea. Yet it is in Korea that Christianity has grown substantially, whereas its growth in China and Japan has been far more limited. While Christianity in Japan and China is still often viewed as a “foreign religion,” in Korea, it has become an integral part of the nation’s history and culture. This shift is remarkable considering the nearly 100 years of persecution endured by the Korean Church following its introduction to the peninsula.
This transformation is not solely about numerical growth but reflects the Church’s active role in Korea’s modern history, particularly its promoting of democracy, labor rights, and human rights. In addition, since the 1980s, the Korean Church has been involved in sending missionaries abroad – 1,007 missionaries in 2022 – and has committed itself to international development, involving cooperation through various Church institutions. It has transitioned from being a receiving Church to a giving Church.[13] In this way, the Korean Church’s journey parallels Korea’s broader trajectory, transforming an aid recipient to a provider, acting as a bridge between different worlds.
WYD 2027 and the Korean Church
The possibility of hosting WYD in Korea has been in the air for over a decade. Yet, concerns have emerged about the current state of the Korean Church. It faces a decline in youth and young adult ministry, as well as a sharp drop in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Furthermore, there is a significant demographic shift within the Church, with an population aging even faster than in broader Korean society. This trend is not exclusive to the Catholic Church. Recent Gallup polls reveal that a growing number of young people in their 20s and 30s are identifying as non-religious.[14]
By 2006, during a period of growth, a seminar titled “Catholicism Captures the Hearts of Modern People” identified five factors that contributed to the Church’s favorable image: Catholic cohesion, integrity, engagement in justice and human rights activities, a flexible attitude toward ancestral rites and funerals, and an openness toward other religions.[15] These factors signified that Catholicism enjoyed a certain moral authority in Korean society. However, the dynamism that characterized the Korean Church in 2024 no longer reflects the current reality. Instead, the adage Ecclesia semper reformanda, seems to more accurately describe the current status of the Korean Church.
Hosting WYD 2027 in this context is significant. It would be unrealistic to expect that a successful WYD could lead to a major revival of youth ministry in Korea, as the decline stems from complex structural issues, such as demographic shifts, cultural changes, and growing distrust of institutions among the youth. However, it is not unreasonable to hope that WYD becomes a catalyst. It could inspire young people to encounter the Lord, to discover their vocation, and thus journey with the Church as “missionary disciples.”[16] It could be a success which would impact not only the Korean but also the universal Church.
What the Korean Church Can Contribute to the Universal Church
The Korean Church’s historical experience, particularly its justice and human rights activities in the 1970s and 1980s, offers two types of lesson for other Churches. First, the Korean Church in the past acted not for its own organizational benefit but for those marginalized in society. This enabled the Korean Church to gain moral authority and become part of Korea’s history, breaking away from the perception of embodying a Western religion.[17] This shows how the Church can take root in non-Western societies, namely, by sharing with, serving and advocating for the marginalized.
The second aspect concerns how the Church can contribute to the public sphere in modern society. Amid growing individualism and a tendency to privatize religion, especially in the West, the Korean Church offers an example of practicing solidarity and serving the common good. In the 21st century, as technological advances dominate and the level of trust in institutions declines, there is a growing thirst for spirituality. This has led to an increasing tendency for religion to cater to individualized needs. In response, while respecting this personal search, the Church must still promote the common mission of Christians, as emphasized in Laudato Si’. The Korean Church’s historical experience serves as a reminder of the Church’s moral and social responsibility to marginalized “neighbors,” helping prevent the excessive spiritualization or privatization of faith. In both respects, the Korean Church exemplifies Pope Francis’ vision of the Church reaching out to the “peripheries” and can offer meaningful contributions to the universal Church.
The first point is based on reflections drawn from the historical past of the Korean Church. The following points are what the Korean Church can emphasize as tasks or missions for Catholic youth worldwide. Through these, young pilgrims from around the world can deepen their understanding of the Christian message and contribute to the universal Church. One example is the message of peace and reconciliation. This message has always been important, but it has become more urgent and feasible for young people in recent years in the context of wars like those between Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. In Rome, shortly after the Lisbon WYD on August 9, 2023, Pope Francis said, “While in Ukraine and other places, there is fighting, and while in certain hidden halls war is planned, World Youth Day showed everyone that another way is possible, a world of brothers and sisters, where the flags of all peoples fly together, next to each other, without hatred, without fear, without closing up, without weapons!”[18] Thus, Korea, which is at the intersection of divisions, exemplified by the Cold War, nuclear risk, and U.S.-China hegemonic rivalry, would be a suitable place for Catholic youth to reflect deeply on the Christian message of peace and reconciliation and dream of becoming apostles of peace.
Another example is ecological conversion. The ecological crisis is a topic of great interest to young people. Pope Francis, with Laudato Si’ in 2015, called for an ecological conversion, emphasizing the gravity of the ecological crisis globally. Korea has been called a “climate villain” due to its significant greenhouse gas emissions generally, per capita emissions, and its response to the climate crisis. Furthermore, hosting an ecologically friendly WYD could invite young people to lead a more ecological way of life. The Cannes Film Festival has already implemented measures for an eco-friendly festival in 2024, such as banning plastic drink bottles, encouraging public transportation use, and removing beef from the menu. If even a film festival can implement such measures, there is no reason why WYD 2027 cannot. In fact, traveling to Korea to attend WYD depends largely on air travel, which means a significant amount of CO2 emissions. Therefore, hosting the event in an eco-friendly and aware manner are all the more important. In Lisbon in 2023, the WYD app provided a function to calculate carbon offsets, and the organizers distributed a “Best Practices Manual for a Sustainable WYD,” covering everything from transportation to meals and accommodation. Pilgrims were asked to avoid disposable plastics and recycle as much as possible. Additionally, they were encouraged to plant trees before coming (reportedly, 18,000 trees were planted). Similarly, WYD 2027 can be a site for ecological conversion not only by raising ecological awareness but also by practicing ecological behavior.
The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) border between the two Koreas, which stretches about 250 kilometers in length and 4 kilometers in width, can be a powerful site for the two potential contributions mentioned above. As a border surrounded by barbed wire, it dramatically highlights the tension between the two Koreas, and underscores the urgent need for reconciliation and peace. At the same time, it is a natural area that has regenerated out of a land ravaged by the Korean War, and has immense ecological value. The DMZ can serve as a symbol representing the 2027 WYD, conveying the profound messages about the need for reconciliation, peace and ecological conversion.
How WYD Can Contribute to the Korean Church
The first contribution is, as mentioned in existing research, the cultivation of Catholic cosmopolitan citizenship. This is different from the “global leader” slogan that became popular in Korea’s educational field in the 21st century and the populism that exploits Christian values for social and political mobilization. As Korea has historically been a homogenous country both ethnically and linguistically, the ethnic boundary has critically functioned to distinguish between “us” and “them.” However, since Korea has already structurally transformed into a nation of immigration, a more universal approach beyond blood-based identity is needed, and civic awareness regarding racism is also necessary. At this point, hosting the WYD and meeting and interacting with young people from various nationalities and cultures will broaden the horizons of both the younger and older generations involved and may foster the Catholic cosmopolitan vision.
Some may question whether events like the World Cup or the Olympics play a more significant role in promoting global citizenship. However, the story of a middle-class person who hosted several young people during the 2013 Rio WYD illustrates the difference between global sports festivals and WYD: “One thing that I believe is different from the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics is that the WYD touches the whole city. For example, we are experiencing the World Cup of 2014 now, and I live in Jacarepaguá (a non-tourist neighborhood in Rio) and I haven’t seen one tourist yet. Why? If something important happens, it happens in the south zone (tourist area), but we from Jacarepaguá don’t see anything. Those who live in the west zone like Bangu, Campo Grande don’t see anything, not even a single tourist. At the WYD, it was different. There were pilgrims everywhere in this city. I remember the owner of the bakery close to my home saying that the sales were great because there were new people around. So the WYD moved the city; the World Cup and Olympics don’t do that. The WYD was a changing moment in our lives.”[19]
While global sports events influence on the level of superficial “global culture” or some commercial areas, WYD engages at a more grassroots level, involving the lives of ordinary citizens.
During the formation of modern Western nation-states, the Catholic Church sometimes maintained an uneasy relationship by emphasizing a universalistic, global citizenship perspective that transcended national or ethnic particularities. After World War II, the dream and realization of reconciliation between Germany and France and the construction of a new Europe (which has ultimately formed today’s European Union) were not achieved solely through political calculations. Catholic politicians, such as Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, and Alcide De Gasperi, influenced by Catholic social thought played a crucial role.[20] It is not merely an idealistic dream to think that some youth, influenced by WYD, may develop a vision for Catholic global citizenship and contribute directly to reconciliation and peace in the world.
Secondly, WYD will offer Korean Catholics an opportunity to update their understanding of contemporary issues and the Korean Church’s organizational cultures. One example is the “evangelization of the digital world.” The rapid advances in digital technology, including artificial intelligence, represent new and largely uncharted territory for the Church. Many in the Church are not fully aware of the significance of the digital world, which is now where young people – both in Korea and globally – spend much of their time, building networks and sharing information.
The digital world is also a place where many dangers lurk, from addiction to exploitation, and it is increasingly dominated by a “commercial surveillance ecosystem” built by big tech companies that harvest personal data for profit.[21] That is why Pope Francis, in his Message for the World Day of Peace of 2024,[22] mentioned the dangers of “replacing faces with screens and the real with the virtual”[23] and the need for an international treaty on AI (Artificial Intelligence).
However, the digital world is where young people live and consume, and the Church is also recognizing it as a place of evangelization, as signaled by the 2023 WYD in Lisbon. The Catholic Influencers Festival held on August 4, 2023, showed that the digital world is recognized “as a territory, a space, not just as a means” and “a new world of communion and mission”[24] for the Church, as described by Cardinal Tagle, pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples. This awareness by the universal Church will influence the Korean Church and lead to updates to youth ministry in the Korean Church.
Another example relates to the Church’s practices, which are based on seniority, hierarchical status, or gender. Structurally, WYD 2027 will be a fruitful event as long as young staff and pastoral workers – both Korean and international, both younger and older – work together. This envisaged collaborative process presents an excellent opportunity to shift from a vertical cultural space to a more horizontal one, which is preferred by young people.
This brings us to the final and most important point. WYD can contribute to the formation of youth leadership in the Korean Church. WYD 2027 cannot be successfully held without the participation of young people. It is not about young people participating passively as objects to be preached at, but actively as missionary disciples, working together with pastoral ministers. This collaboration process will be meaningful for the formation of new youth leadership in and for the “journeying together” with the Korean Church.
Concluding Remarks: A Contemplative Attitude for WYD
This paper began with the premise that a successful WYD must be oriented toward evangelization. For individual participants, it could well involve a lifelong process in which the Word of God changes one’s thoughts and attitudes throughout life. Even if participants have meaningful, intense experiences at WYD, these are moments in the journey of evangelization, requiring lifelong commitment to live out these experiences integrally. In fact, evangelization does not end with individual transformation but seeks the renewal of the Church and society. It integrates faith and practice, personal morality and social responsibility to realize the values of the Kingdom of God. An evangelizing WYD is part of this framework, with the central focus of its programs and the activities of WYD being the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is why Pope John Paul II chose Palm Sunday as the day for the very first youth gathering, when he initially invited young people to Rome. He emphasized that the core spirit of WYD is to foster a personal encounter between young people, searching for life’s meaning, with Christ.
Hence, for the local Church to prepare and organize an evangelizing WYD, it needs to see the young with a contemplative attitude, in other words, seeing and acknowledging the thirst that young people have for meaning and the gaze that Christ directs toward them. This contemplative attitude is not reserved for monks, religious, or clergy; rather, it is an attitude that must be developed and cultivated by everyone involved – young participants and the older generation alike.
An example of this contemplative attitude can be seen in the way Pope John Paul II perceived the WYD. Although he himself modestly said that WYD was not his invention but rather the creation of the young people, his influence over its origins cannot be overlooked. Despite the early skepticism within the Vatican regarding youth participation, he continued to push forward with WYD. What drove him to invite youth to Rome? Was it his vision for new evangelization in a secularizing West, or his belief in the pivotal role of youth in the Church’s future? In a 1994 interview, John Paul II said: “And not only in Rome, but anywhere the pope goes, he seeks out the young and the young seek him out. Actually, in truth, it is not the pope who is being sought out at all. The one being sought out is Christ, […] I would like to sum up by stressing that the young are searching for God; they are searching for the meaning of life, they are searching for definitive answers: ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 10:25). In this search, they cannot help but encounter the Church. And the Church also cannot help but encounter the young.”[25]
It is evident that Pope John Paul II saw in young people more than just a means for evangelization or part of a noble ecclesial vision. He recognized their profound search for God and meaning. He did not reduce youth to a demographic for ecclesial strategy. Instead, his heart mirrored the love Jesus had for the young man seeking eternal life (cf. Mark 10:17). This synthesis of spiritual sensitivity and pastoral response enabled him to engage with youth authentically. While some attribute his success to personal charisma, it was rooted in his pastoral experience and love for young people. John Paul II’s spiritual attentiveness, paired with Christ’s compassionate heart, allowed him to truly see and respond to the deep thirst of young people.
As the Korean Church and its members prepare for WYD 2027, fostering this contemplative attitude will be the most effective and affective form of preparation. Through it, the Church can better understand the longings of the young and help guide them toward a personal encounter with Christ. Cultivating this attitude and practice will lay the foundation for WYD 2027 to become not just a well-organized event, but a stimulus for the true transformation of both participants and the wider Church community, oriented toward evangelization.
Reproduced with permission from La Civiltà Cattolica.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32009/22072446.0125.16
[1]. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1994, 123.
[2]. In Korean historiography, the Apostolic Vicariate of Korea, carved out of the territory of the then Diocese of Peking, is often mentioned as the Diocese of Joseon, the name of the Korean kingdom in those days.
[3]. Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (EG), no. 176.
[4]. Second Vatican Council, Apostolicam Actuositatem, no. 2.
[5]. Cf. S. Mandes – W. Sadłoń. “Religion in a globalized culture: institutional innovation and continuity of Catholicism—the case of world youth day”, in Annual review of the sociology of religion (2018): 202-221; M. Pfadenhauer, “The eventization of faith as a marketing strategy: World Youth Day as an innovative response of the Catholic Church to pluralization”, in International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 15 (2010/4) 382-394.
[6]. C. Taylor, A Secular Age, Harvard University Press, 2007, 516-518
[7]. Cf. L. Gonzalez – T. Villa – C. Loreto Mariz – A. Zahra, “World Youth Day: Contemporaneous pilgrimage and hospitality”, in Annals of Tourism Research 76 (2019) 80-90.
[8]. Cf. V. Turner, The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Chicago, Aldine, 1969; V. Turner – V. Witter – E. Turner, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture: Anthropological Perspectives, Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1978.
[9]. C. Mercier, “Religion and the Contemporary Phase of Globalization: Insights from a Study of John Paul II’s World Youth Days”, in Journal of World History 33 (2022/2) 321-351.
[10]. Pew Research Center, “Christians. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050” (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/christians/).
[11]. K. Rahner, “Towards a fundamental theological interpretation of Vatican II”, in Theological Studies 40 (1979/4) 716-727.
[12]. M. Faggioli, The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis: Moving Toward Global Catholicity, New York, Orbis Books, 2020.
[13]. Cf. D. Kim, “Going Global”, in Journal of Korean Religions 12 (2021/1) 5-37.
[14]. Cf. https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1208.
[15]. Cf. K. Oh, “Growth of Catholic Believers and its Cause (오경환, 가톨릭 신자의 괄목할만한 증가와 그 요인)”, in S. Cho – C. Yong Chong (eds), Why Did They Go to the Catholic Church? (그들은 왜 가톨릭 교회로 갔을까?), 2007, 25-48.
[16]. Cf. EG 119-121.
[17]. D. Kim, “Church and Compressed Modernization: South Korea and Japan Compared”, in Gregorianum vol. 101 (2021) 573-592.
[18]. Francis, General Audience, August 9, 2023, in www.vatican.va
[19]. Cf. L. Gonzalez – T. Villa – C. Loreto Mariz – A. Zahra, “World Youth Day: …”, op. cit., 86.
[20] Catholics tend to see Europe as a cultural whole and envision it being governed in a coordinated fashion, while Protestants tend to see the nation-state as a bulwark against Catholic hegemony since the Reformation. Cf. B. F. Nelsen – J. L. Guth, Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional culture and the Limits of Integration, Washington, Georgetown University Press, 2015.
[21]. S. Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. New York, PublicAffairs, 2019.
[22]. Cf. Francis, Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, “Artificial Intelligence and Peace”, January 1, 2024.
[23]. Francis, Address at the Universidade Católica Portugesa Lisbon, August 3, 2023.
[24]. Quote from A. Ivereigh, “A Church with Room for Everyone; World Youth Day in Lisbon”, in Commonweal Magazine (www.commonwealmagazine.org/francis-world-youth-day-lisbon-ivereigh-catholic-vatican-synodality), August 13, 2023.
[25]. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, op. cit., 123-125.
