WHAT IS THE WYD?

World Youth Day (WYD) is a meeting of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is, at the same time, a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church and a strong moment of evangelization in the world of youth. It presents itself as an invitation to a determined generation to build a more just and solidary world. With a clearly Catholic identity, it is open to everyone, whether they are closer or farther from the Church.

It takes place every year at the diocesan level, around Palm Sunday, and every two, three or four years as an international meeting, in a city chosen by the Pope, always with his presence. It brings together thousands of young people to celebrate their faith and belonging to the Church.

Since the first edition, which took place in the city of Rome in 1986, World Youth Day has been seen as a laboratory of faith, a birthplace of vocations to marriage and the consecrated life and an instrument of evangelization and transformation of Church.

It aims to provide all participants with an experience of the universal Church, fostering a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is a new impetus for faith, hope and charity for the entire community in the host country. With young people as protagonists, World Youth Day also seeks to promote peace, unity and brotherhood among peoples and nations around the world.