An Analysis of Pope Francis’ Youth Discourse in Christus Vivit : Shared Authority, the Ethos of Accompaniment, and World Youth Day (WYD)

ABSTRACT

[Objective] This study aims to perform a rhetorical analysis of Pope Francis' apostolicexhortation Christus Vivit (CV) in order to investigate how directive authority is ransformed into a shared authority and an ethos of accompaniment within a synodal understanding of the Church, and how these are realized in the context of World Youth Day (WYD).[Contents] To achieve this objective, this research applies Aristotle's concept of ethos and Austin's theory of performative utterances as analytical frameworks to examine the dual-audience structure, interrogative rhetoric, and performative speech acts within the text. The analysis demonstrates how CV reconfigures authority through listening, reciprocity, and communal discernment, thereby constructing a shared authority between Pope and youth, and how these rhetorical strategies are embodied in the pastoral and educational reality of WYD.[Conclusions] The study concludes that CV establishes leadership as accompaniment by rendering the Emmaus model into a pastoral narrative and by fostering a shared authority grounded in mutual discernment between Pope and youth. Furthermore, the combination of CV's rhetorical strategies and the lived experience of WYD offers a synodal model of practice for Catholic education. These findings suggest that the Korean Catholic community preparing for the 2027 Seoul WYD should welcome young people as co-subjects in the present and promote educational renewal centered on listening, dialogue, and accompaniment.