"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7) is the official theme for the 2016 World Youth Day. This, along with the WYD 2016 logo and prayer, were announced Thursday July 3, 2014 by the metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow - Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz.

Although simple, the logo carries three main elements of symbolism: the place, the participants, the theme of the celebration. Using a geographical outline of Poland, the head of the youth in the foreground denotes the position of Krakow on the map. The coloring, reminiscent of the Divine Mercy - blue, red, and yellow - are the official colors of Krakow and its coat of arms. The official 2016 WYD prayer entrusts humanity and the young to the Divine Mercy, asks the Lord for the grace of a merciful hear, and seeks the intercessions of the Virgin Mary and Saint John Paull II (Patron of WYD).

For more information please visit the official WYD 2016 Krakow website.

Read Pope Francis' message for the 29th WYD