Circulated: Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 2027 Seoul WYD — Diocesan Days Preparatory Committee | <Attachment 2>

The WYD Diocesan Days Preparatory Committee has prepared and is distributing this draft of the Registration Operation Guidelines for the Diocesan Days of '2027 Seoul WYD' in order to improve the efficiency of preparations. This draft is circulated in advance for prior review by each DOC (Diocesan Organizing Committee), with the intent of discussing and finalizing the content at the 8th meeting on Monday, June 15, 2026. If you have any changes or additions, please mark them in red or use your document software's comment function. Deadline for feedback: Monday, June 1.

1. Background and Core Principles

1) Difference Between the Main Event and the Diocesan Days

The Main Event and the Diocesan Days differ fundamentally in the nature of their participating units. The Main Event is a universal-Church-level event where the Pope meets with young people from around the world, and it has conventionally permitted both individual and group registration.

The registration system for the 2023 Lisbon WYD Main Event likewise allowed individuals to register; rather than requiring full personal information from every pilgrim, it collected detailed information only for specific categories — group leaders and deputy leaders, priests, persons with disabilities, and those requiring visas — accepting individual registration on the premise that management would occur at the group level.

By contrast, the purpose of the Diocesan Days is to "integrate young people into the parish communities" of the various dioceses within the host country. This was officially defined by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Family when Diocesan Days were first introduced at the 1997 Paris WYD. Here, "integration" centers on three elements:

① lodging in homestays or in parish/public facilities

② faith-sharing with parish youth

③ missionary service for the local community

Accordingly, the international standard for the Diocesan Days has been 'group dispatch → group reception' rather than individual registration. Past events — Krakow (2016), Panama (2019), and Lisbon (2023) — have all maintained a group-leader-centered registration structure.

2) Five Core Principles

• (Principle 1) Pastoral Integration: The Diocesan Days must be a setting for the pastoral experience of young people being integrated into Korea's local Church communities, and the registration unit must be structured so as to make this integration possible.
• (Principle 2) Clarity of Responsibility: In preparation for emergencies such as accidents or illness, every pilgrim must have a clearly designated organization or chaperone bearing primary responsibility. The participation of pilgrims whose line of responsibility is unclear creates pastoral and legal risk.
• (Principle 3) Substance of Hospitality: Since the spirit of the Diocesan Days lies in hospitality, even where the formal requirement (a group) is lacking, realistic accommodations should be devised to embrace young people who have the will to make the pilgrimage, rather than excluding them.
• (Principle 4) Respect for Diocesan Autonomy: Whether to accept a particular form of participation belongs to each diocese's own pastoral judgment; the WYD Diocesan Days Preparatory Committee will provide guidelines, but the final decision is left to the discretion of each diocese.
• (Principle 5) Priority Protection of Children and Minors: All matters concerning minors will be governed strictly by domestic law (Civil Code Article 4, the Immigration Control Act, the Child Welfare Act) and by international child-protection norms; in this domain, the principle of protection takes precedence over the principle of hospitality.

2. Precedents from Past WYD Diocesan Days

Lisbon (2023): The LOC officially instructed group leaders to contact the secretariat directly. Catholic specialty travel agencies likewise promoted the LOC's principle of diocesan assignment for group-based participation. The Main Event registration page also recommended that small groups or individual pilgrims join a larger group organized by a parish, diocese, or community — reflecting a dual structure that kept individual registration open at the system level while pastorally steering participation toward groups.

Krakow (2016): Specified a recommended age range (14–30) and collected detailed information on a group basis. The participation fee for the Diocesan Days ('Missionary Week') was set at a uniform rate across all dioceses (€30 per person) with the approval of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

Panama (2019): Extended the scope of the Diocesan Days to neighboring countries. Some groups participated by staying beforehand in nearby Central American countries before entering Panama.

WYD DON BOSCO 23 (Lisbon): The Salesians launched an international dispatch organization integrating ~7,500 young people across parishes, schools, and youth groups from Korea, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Papua New Guinea. This 'single international organization dispatching across multiple dioceses' model is regarded as an efficient model for Seoul (2027).

Going forward, Seoul (2027) will likely see similar integrated dispatch structures by the Jesuits, Franciscans, the Neocatechumenal Way, Chemin Neuf, Focolare, and other international religious orders and lay apostolic associations.

Summary of consistent standards from past precedents:

• The Diocesan Days operate, in principle, on the basis of group registration
• The core of registration is not the number of participants, but the identity of the group leader and the resulting clarity of responsibility
• Recognized scope includes international religious orders, devotional movements, national WYD offices, and bishops'-conference-level local-Church groupings
• For specific situations (mid-stream arrival/departure), each diocese handles matters autonomously

3. Actual Registration Cases (Domestic)

1) Inquiry Regarding Small Polish Group Participation (Incheon)

The Polish WYD Office projected ~3,000 Polish pilgrims and raised concerns that small parish groups of around five people might be turned away on grounds of small size.

The Diocese of Incheon responded that while it places no minimum or maximum limit on group size, it requests compliance with four requirements:

1. Submission of an official certificate issued by the Polish WYD Office
2. Verification process confirming group name matches the certificate
3. Travel insurance enrollment for all pilgrims
4. Designation of an integrated responsible representative on the Polish side

Generalized conditions for permitting small-group participation:

① Official letter of recommendation or certificate from the sending country's Bishops' Conference or equivalent authority

② Accompaniment by a designated integrated responsible coordinator from the sending side

③ Proof of enrollment in insurance guaranteeing pilgrim safety

2) Inquiry Regarding Special Schedule Support for a Polish Group (Incheon)

A 44-person group (2 priests + 42 pilgrims) scheduled to arrive at 10:55 a.m. on July 31 also requested extended stay support from August 10–15 after the Main Event.

The Diocese of Incheon advised that participation during the Diocesan Days schedule would be possible, but seats for homestays and programs are allocated with priority to full-schedule participants.

Key generalizations:

• Tiered treatment by arrival timing — management differs between someone arriving one day late and someone joining only on the final day
• Participation fee payable in full regardless of partial participation; no refunds
• Extended stays after the Main Event fall outside the scope of Diocesan Days operations — no official support provided

4. Anticipated Case Types and Response Directions

1) Types by Nature of the Registration Unit

2) Types by Schedule and Length of Stay

3) Types by Region and Movement

4) Safety Types

5) Behavior and Discipline Types

• Departure / Discipline Violations: Staged response — group leader action first → receiving diocese's DOC second → immediate return home for serious cases
• Conflict / Complaint Resolution: Mediation procedure and real-time interpretation support system established in advance

6) Protocol and Media Types

• Accompanying Journalists / Media Producers: Must distinguish between pilgrim registration and separate media accreditation
• Visiting Bishops and Senior Clergy: Protocol coordinated separately with diocesan curia/office; handled as official protocol

5. Policy Recommendations

1) Basic Principle (First Line)

The basic unit of Diocesan Days registration is a 'group' with a designated chaperone or responsible organization. 'Group' is defined not by headcount but as a registration unit through which the line of responsibility can be confirmed. Minimum two persons required (single individual registration not permitted).

Recognized scope:

1. Parish- and diocese-level groups (most common form)
2. A coalition of multiple parishes jointly recommended by a national WYD office
3. A coalition jointly recommended by the headquarters of an international lay movement or religious order
4. Groups recruited by a Catholic travel agency, provided they have received official recognition from the sending diocese

Required documents at registration:

• Official letter of recommendation or certificate from an authoritative body on the sending side
• Identity information for the group leader and deputy leader, including contact details
• A detailed participant list (categorized by minors, priests, persons with disabilities, etc.)
• Proof of valid travel insurance
• Detailed immigration schedule and transportation details

2) Supplementary Measure — Joining an Integrated Group (Cluster)

For individuals without a group or very small numbers (2–4 people):

• Registration method: Sending country's national WYD office combines small groups/individuals into a single 'Integrated Group (Cluster)' for registration
• Responsible party: Management responsibility rests with a single coordinator designated by the sending country's national WYD office
• Reception principle: Receiving diocese accepts the Integrated Group on the same terms as a general group

3) Other — Direct Diocesan Approval (Direct-Match)

An exceptional procedure for cases that cannot be resolved through the above measures; authority rests with each diocese's DOC.

Applicable to:

1. Lay adults aged 25 and older
2. Priests or religious visiting Korea in an official capacity
3. Diaspora faithful with a clear connection to the Korean Church

Required conditions:

1. Letter of recommendation from the bishop or youth ministry director of the home diocese
2. Advance designation of a responsible parish or priest on the home-diocese side
3. Explicit approval from the receiving diocese's DOC
4. Proof of travel insurance
5. A signed code of conduct

4) Participation and Stay-Related Matters