Cardinal Tagle Highlights Food, Culture, and Faith as Keys to World Youth Day 2027 in South Korea

As the Catholic Church in South Korea prepares to host World Youth Day 2027, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle offered reflections on the role of culture, cuisine, and everyday encounters in deepening faith and welcoming the world’s youth. His comments came during a press conference at The Light Hotel, Penang, during the Great Pilgrimage of Hope.

The session was coordinated by Daniel Roy, head of the Social Communications Office of the Penang Diocese.

Responding to questions about the Korean Church’s preparation for this major international gathering and its significance within Asia, Cardinal Tagle highlighted both the country’s pastoral outreach and its cultural contributions.

Korea’s Generosity

“I first want to thank the Church in Korea for its outreach,” Cardinal Tagle said. He noted that Korean priests and religious, living in countries across Asia, often begin their service supporting Korean migrants but quickly extend their care to local communities.

“They get involved in health care, education, and assistance to the poor,” he said. “The Church of Korea has even welcomed bishops from poorer countries for medical care through its hospitals. This generosity is remarkable.”

According to Cardinal Tagle, these acts reflect Korea’s broader commitment to faith in action and prepare the country to host pilgrims from across the continent with a spirit of service and welcome.

Culture, Cuisine, and the Gospel

The conversation shifted from pastoral work to culture and the arts, where Cardinal Tagle offered a fresh perspective on faith-sharing. He observed that Korea’s influence, through K-pop, cinema, and cuisine, extends far beyond its borders.

“The food, the flavors, the fruits of the earth and the work of human hands, all of these are part of our story,” he said. “Through the breaking of bread, we can share our narratives, our faith, our heritage.”

Drawing from personal experience, he recounted a recent encounter in Rome that exemplified this idea:
“I was invited by an Italian police officer to a Chinese restaurant,” Cardinal Tagle began. “He introduced me to the young couple who owned it. And when they learned I was a priest, the lady approached me and said, ‘Oh, you’re a priest? Can you explain to me what baptism is?’”

Curious, Cardinal Tagle asked, “Why do you want to know?" The woman explained, “We have many reservations here for baptismal parties, and we don’t really know what they are about."

Tagle seized the moment to teach. ‘Why not? I will teach you about the First Communion too?’ He recalled: “In the breaking of bread, you recognize a guest who seems to be playing the host. And in that moment, you have the opportunity to proclaim Christ. It’s not just a meal, it’s an interaction, a moment of engagement, a place where faith and culture meet naturally.”

Everyday Encounters as Opportunities

Cardinal Tagle emphasized that events like World Youth Day are not only about official programs and liturgies, but also about the small, relational moments that communicate God’s love.

“Faith can be shared not only through preaching but through presence, listening, and hospitality,” he said. “When someone opens their home or their restaurant, when people gather around a table, they are creating a space for dialogue, curiosity, and understanding. This is how the Church becomes alive in culture.”

He encouraged young people and leaders preparing for the 2027 gathering to look beyond logistics and celebrations, seeing every meal, every cultural exchange, and every personal encounter as an opportunity for engagement and witness.

A Model for Asia

Through his insights, Cardinal Tagle invited the Asian Church to see culture and daily life as partners in faith-sharing. In a continent as diverse as Asia, where young people are seeking meaning in complex contexts, simple acts of generosity, hospitality, and curiosity become powerful instruments of witness.

As the Great Pilgrimage of Hope draws to a close in Penang, fostering dialogue, communion, and inspiration for the Asian Church, all eyes now turn toward nurturing the next generation of leaders who will participate in events like World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul.