DEHLI (UCAN): Father Chetan Machado, secretary for the Youth Council of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, announced on December 12 that there were currently no plans to hold the 8th Asian Youth Day (AYD) event in 2021. The event was initially set to take place in India in October 2021.
At the conclusion of the previous event in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2017, members of the Indian delegation received the AYD Cross from their Indonesian counterparts.
However, Father Machado said, “We need to wait for the Indian Bishops plenary meeting in February 2020 for the final decision on this.”
The Indian bishops’ unwillingness to host the event likely stems from “political reasons” and “visa concerns,” said a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.
Organised by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Laity and Family, Youth Desk and the host country, AYD brings together young Catholics from across Asia.
First organized in Hua Hin, Thailand, in 1999, AYD has been held in two, three and five year intervals.
Other events have been held in Taipei, Taiwan (2001); Bangalore, India (2003); Hong Kong (2006); Imus, the Philippines (2009); and Daejeon, South Korea (2014).
Pope Francis attended the AYD event in South Korea.
