We are grateful for the interest in and support for WYD Seoul 2027 shown by people around the world.

The Local Organizing Committee has continued to receive inquiries concerning the individual commonly known as “Julia Youn of Naju.” Claims and activities associated with her are also being promoted internationally through social media, publications, and other channels.

We therefore wish to clarify the official position of the Catholic Church in Korea, as communicated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.

The Archdiocese of Gwangju, which has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Naju area, investigated the matter and consulted the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It subsequently determined that the alleged phenomena and the activities associated with them “have nothing to do with sound Christian spirituality.” The Archdiocese of Gwangju has publicly reaffirmed this position on several occasions.

Pilgrims are therefore asked to exercise particular caution and not to mistake social media content, publications, or promotional materials concerning “Julia Youn of Naju” for official information issued or endorsed by the Catholic Church in Korea.

Pilgrims should not visit the site under the impression that it is a Church-recognized shrine or an official place of pilgrimage. They should likewise refrain from participating in any Masses, liturgies, sacramental celebrations, or other religious events held there.

In 2008, the Archdiocese of Gwangju further clarified the canonical consequences of involvement in these activities. By formal decree, it stated that any clergy, religious, or lay faithful who, contrary to the Archbishop’s prohibition, “preside over or attend the celebration of the sacraments or sacramentals at any alleged ‘oratory’ or the ‘hill of Our Lady in Naju’ incur a latae sententiae excommunication”—that is, excommunication incurred automatically by the commission of the act itself. The decree applies not only to the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Gwangju, but to all members of the Catholic Church.

Those preparing for a pilgrimage to Korea, or seeking guidance on matters of faith, are encouraged to verify all relevant information through the official channels of the WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, the competent dioceses, or the Holy See.

Further information is available in the official documents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and the Archdiocese of Gwangju linked below.

[Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea — link]

https://www.cbck.or.kr/en/News/20261270?search=naju&gb=subject

https://www.cbck.or.kr/en/News?gb=subject&search=naju

[Archdiocese of Gwangju — link]

https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/file/partoral/4121?share=&cat1=106&page=2

https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/file/partoral/4119?share=&cat1=106

WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee