As Catholic young people around the world prepare for the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has asked them to focus on hope. Source: CNS.
Before the Jubilee of Young People, which will be part of the Holy Year celebration, and the next international celebration of World Youth Day in 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, dioceses around the world will celebrate World Youth Day locally on the feast of Christ the King.
The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life announced on Wednesday that Pope Francis had chosen as the theme for the upcoming November 26 celebration “Rejoicing in hope,” from Romans 12:12.
For World Youth Day on November 24, 2024, he chose: “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary,” drawing from the Lord’s promise in Isaiah 40:31.
The theme for the Jubilee Year itself is “Pilgrims of Hope”.
Announcing the themes, the dicastery quoted the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, which said: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men and women of today, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.”
“Now as then, in today’s difficult times, the Church wishes to rekindle hope in the world,” the dicastery said. “To do this, she relies especially on young people, who are the leading figures of history and ‘missionaries of joy.’
“With the themes of the two forthcoming World Youth Days, His Holiness now invites young people to deepen their understanding of Christian hope and to witness joyfully that Christ is alive.”
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Pope’s choices for next World Youth Day celebrations are focused on hope (CNS via NCR Online)
