Cardinal Farrell: Rekindling hope in a young person takes humanity a step forward

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

While many young people are struggling, World Youth Day can help them lift up their gaze to Christ and also show a new humanity that can overcome hatred and division, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, while celebrating Mass on September 14, 2026, during a preparatory meeting for World Youth Day Seoul 2027.

“It is worth committing to this preparation; it is worth working, making sacrifices, investing resources, and mobilizing so many people – because young people are the future of the Church and of the world,” the Cardinal highlighted.

“To rekindle hope in even one young person means helping all of humanity take a step forward," he said.

With less than one year to go to the World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul – scheduled to take place from August 3 to 8, 2027 – 300 delegates from all over the world gathered in the South Korean capital for the Second Preparatory Meeting for WYD. The first one was held right after the previous international WYD, which took place in Lisbon in 2023.  

Present at the meeting, lasting from September 14 to 17, were also Archbishop of Seoul, Peter Chung Soon-taek; the Apostolic Nuncio in Korea, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari; and, other representatives of previous WYD and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

The first sessions were dedicated to reflecting on the legacy of the WYDs – which have been taking place since 1985 – and then, in the afternoon, Cardinal Farrell celebrated the opening Mass on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.    

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In his homily, the Cardinal reflected that many young people today “find themselves in the desert of life, going through difficult trials, moments of confusion, rebellion, and emptiness,” with many of them struck by “sin, sadness, depression or unbelief.”

He explained that for them salvation lies not in human strategies, material possessions or new technologies, but rather “in lifting their gaze and receiving from God forgiveness, love, and life,” which takes place before the cross, “the clearest manifestation of Jesus’ love for us.”

The Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life thus emphasized that the mission of the Church and of WYD is to encourage that “many hearts may open themselves to grace,” that the cross of Christ may be raised “so that many young people may look to Him, welcome His love, and become His disciples.”

“Lift up your head and look – nothing more!” the Cardinal insisted, adding that an act of faith is “not relying on one’s own strength, but lifting one’s gaze toward God and asking Him for help.”

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Cardinal Farrell also pointed out that the cross is “the symbol of universal reconciliation, where the vertical beam unites heaven and earth – God and humanity – and the horizontal beam unites all of humanity in a single embrace of forgiveness and brotherhood.”

In this regard, he noted that WYD has this same mission, as one of its “most beautiful aspects” is “the presence of different cultures, languages, and races, all united in the one faith.”

“During World Youth Day, young people show the world that divisions, prejudices, and hostilities can be overcome. Young people show that by welcoming Christ, a new humanity is born. A desire emerges to encounter and discover others, to embrace diversity, without fear or closed-mindedness. This is the miracle of communion in the one Spirit that the cross of Christ has brought into the world,” the Prefect underlined, adding that he is sure this will happen in Seoul as well.

The fruits of WYD

Looking ahead, Cardinal Farrell imagined how young people gathering in the Korean capital next year will be enriched by those they meet, how they will discover faith in God and “the beautiful face of the Church,” and how they will also “rediscover faith in humanity” and “regain confidence in the future.”

This will allow them to “to devote their lives to something great, rather than wasting time on vain and deceptive idols,” whether that be discerning a call to priesthood or religious life or seeing the importance of starting a family.

“The fruits of a World Youth Day are many, and I cannot list them all now – not least because many will remain known only to God,” the Cardinal continued, adding however that he mentioned them in order to encourage all those present to continue with the preparations for next year’s event.

“Let us lift our gaze to the cross of Christ; let us ask Him for every blessing for Korea, for this World Youth Day, for all the young people who will come, and for all the young people of the world,” the Cardinal concluded, praying that the everything they do “in preparation for the upcoming World Youth Day may be inspired by the same love for souls that overflows from the heart of Jesus.”