While most of us in the youth ministry community are busying ourselves moaning about the fact that we've got less than two years to prepare for Rio, it seems that people further east are already starting to think about the World Youth Day after that.

Vague reports are starting to surface (like this one in Italian) that the next event after Rio will be in 2015, and that Krakow, Poland is a front runner. Apparently Cardinal Stanislao Dziwisz (the Archbp of Krakow, and JPII's long-serving wingman) has been chatting to the Pope about it, and while the Pontiff isn't committing himself (or the PCL) just yet, it seems to be an idea that 'has legs.'

For one thing, the Church likes its symbolism and its anniversaries, and 2015 has two important ones which work well for Krakow: It will be thirty years since the first World Youth Day, and ten years since the death of Blessed John Paul II who started the ball rolling in the first place, and who served as the City's Archbishop.

Apparently other Eastern European countries are also in the frame. Personally, though, my money would be on Poland.

England, unsurprisingly, is not being talked about at all - I guess the Pope reads this site! That would mean that, even if we maintain the two year spacing rather than reverting to three years (unlikely) the earliest we could be looking at a UK WYD now would be 2019. Timing, which might be about right for us...

[image hotlinked from flickr user bazylek100]

What about 2017?

All we can say for sure is it won't be in Europe. The US hasn't hosted it for a long time. Maybe there... but that's a total guess.

Has africa ever hosted at WYD?

No. Johannesburg lost out to Madrid for WYD2011 and apparently has been talked about for quite some time. There is a huge drive to host big events in Africa, and SA is the only country that can handle them really - which is why why've had football, rugby and cricket world cups in the last 15 years or so.

My guess would be:

2013 - Rio (okay, that part's not a guess)
2015 - Krakow
2017 - Johannesburg
2019 - London

..but that's pure guesswork!!