 Logo of the World Youth Day 2016 | |
| Date | July 26, 2016 – July 31, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kraków, Poland |
| Coordinates | 50°01′51″N 20°05′36″E / 50.030934°N 20.093380°E |
| Type | Youth festival |
| Theme | Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. (Mt 5:7) |
| Organised by | Catholic Church |
| Participants | Pope Francis |
| Previous | 2013 Rio de Janeiro |
| Next | 2019 Panama City |
| Website | archive |
World Youth Day 2016 (WYD 2016; Polish: Światowe Dni Młodzieży 2016) was the 15th World Youth Day, an international event organised by the Catholic Church and focused on faith and youth that took place from 26 to 31 July 2016 in Kraków, Poland. It was the third World Youth Day held in Central Europe.
Pope Francis announced at the end of the closing Mass of the previous World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro that Kraków, Poland, will be the venue for World Youth Day 2016.[1] This will be the second World Youth Day hosted by Poland, the first being the World Youth Day 1991 held in Częstochowa.[2]
According to Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kraków, World Youth Day 2016 was to be particularly significant as a tribute to Pope John Paul II, founder of the World Youth Day, as Kraków was his home. As he is such a popular saint in Poland, canonized on 27 April 2014, Cardinal Dziwisz said that the news of hosting another World Youth Day in Poland has been met with "enthusiasm", and all Catholic dioceses in Poland will be supporting the event.[3] Special activities related to John Paul II's devotion to the Merciful Jesus (Divine Mercy devotion) based on Mary Faustina Kowalska apparitions and message.
World Youth Day 2016 concluded on 31 July, as scheduled. It is estimated that 3 million pilgrims celebrated the event.
- ^ "WYD 2013: Pope Francis presides at closing Mass on Copacabana Beach: as it happened - CatholicHerald.co.uk". 28 July 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ "World Youth Day - An Initiative of Blessed John Paul II – Xt3 Library". www.xt3.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ "Official Website for World Youth Day 2016 Kraków". Retrieved 21 February 2018.