Pope Leo XIV urges Korean clergy to be artisans of peace ahead of 2027 World Youth Day

Pope Leo XIV met with a group of Korean priests, religious sisters and consecrated men in Rome’s Clementine Hall on 10 June 2026, urging them to act as artisans of peace in the run‑up to the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul.

The audience, gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of the Pontifical Korean College’s headquarters, received a message that blended reverence for Korea’s martyr heritage with a forward‑looking call for reconciliation on a peninsula still technically at war.

“You are men and women of reconciliation, artisans of peace,” the Pope said, encouraging clergy to reach out to the lonely, weary and those who have drifted from the Church.

Leo XIV highlighted the historical roots of Korean Christianity, noting that the faith “took root spontaneously” and survived persecution, war and poverty through the “extraordinary strength of spirit” of its believers. He pointed to Venerable Thomas Choe Yang‑Eop, the second Korean priest, as an exemplar of daily, hidden martyrdom.

In urging Korean clergy to prepare for World Youth Day, the Pope emphasized that the event should be “a great encounter between memory and the future.” He said young people traveling to Seoul would witness the legacy of Korean martyrs and carry that faith onward across the globe.

“All Christians are called to give their lives in love each day,” Leo XIV added, linking daily witness to the broader quest for peace.

The Vatican message linked religious outreach to concrete steps toward inter‑Korean dialogue. Leo XIV called for “new paths of encounter” and for the Gospel of peace to be proclaimed freely throughout the Korean peninsula.

The Pope also entrusted the mission to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, patroness of Korea, and invoked Korean saints such as St. Andrew Kim Tae‑gon and St. Paul Chong Ha‑sang, asking them to accompany preparations for the 2027 gathering.

In a press conference following his return from France, Leo XIV confirmed his own planned visit to South Korea next summer, making him the third pontiff to travel there after John Paul II and Francis.

The Vatican’s focus on peace and youth engagement sets the tone for what organizers hope will be a unifying global event, spotlighting Korea’s religious heritage while encouraging a new generation to pursue reconciliation and hope.