VATICAN CITY – Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama officially announced the dates of the next World Youth Day on Friday (Jan. 20), which is set to take place in January, rather than July as is usual, due to the weather.

He made the announcement during a news conference in the country's capital, Panama City, during which he also reiterated the gratitude of the Panamanian Church to Pope Francis for choosing Panama to host WYD in 2019.

According to a communique from the archdiocese, the bishop explained that the decision to choose Jan. 22-27 for the dates of the gathering, rather than holding it in July as is traditionally done, was done for reasons primarily linked to the climate and weather.