Korea to host next Asian Youth Day

SILANG, Cavite, Nov.28, 2009—It is confirmed Korea will host next Asian Youth Day set for 2012.

Filipino Bishop Rolando Tirona of the Prelature of Infanta made the announcement at the culmination of the 5th Asian Youth which ended yesterday at the diocese of Imus in the Philippines.

Tirona is the chairman of the Office on Family and Life which handles the Youth Desk of the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

“I am pleased to announce that the next Asian Youth Day will take place in Korea,” he said.

The Korean section of the congregation broke out in loud cheers at the announcement.

Tirona concelebrated a mass at the Rogationist College in Silang, Cavite, the final event of this year’s Asian Youth Day.

The liturgical celebration was presided over by FABC secretary general and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo.

Concelebrants include Papal nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams and several other bishops from across Asia, mostly Filipinos.

“I thank you all for your participation here in Cavite and look forward to seeing you all again in three years’ time,” Tirona said.

Reportedly, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lobbied hard for their country to host Asian Youth Day in 2013.

Speaking to CBCPNews, Fr. Cho Jae Hyen Pio, youth ministry leader for Korea’s Catholic Church, said he hopes the gathering will have a broad impact.

“I hope it will strengthen the faith, I hope it will reinforce all those values that make Korean society good like solidarity and respect for life,” he said.

Young Korean Catholics attending the celebrations in Cavite were jubilant after the bishop’s announcement.

“I expect Korea to show Asia just how wonderful we are,” one young woman said.

“Korea’s going to be great – we’re all feeling very good,” a young man said.

Asian Youth Day is held during the years when no international World Youth Day celebration is organized, which is once in every three years.

It was first held in Thailand in 1999, Taiwan in 2001, in India in 2003 and in Hong Kong in 2006. (Roy Lagarde)

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