Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Youth raise voices ahead of 2018 synod: we want to follow Christ

Youth raise voices ahead of 2018 synod: we want to follow Christ

Last updated on: April 11, 2017 at 8:21 pm by CNA Daily News

Youth raise voices ahead of 2018 synod: we want to follow Christ 2017-04-11T20:21:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rome, Italy, Apr 11, 2017 / 02:21 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- At a prayer vigil with youth this weekend, Pope Francis said the Church needs to listen to the voice of young people, and some of them have responded saying they want to let the world know they are not tired of following Christ.

“There are a lot of young people who feel like the Church is difficult, that it is far off, that it’s something for adults and for serious people,” Nicole Espino, 18, told CNA. But the Pope, she said, “helps us to understand that we are important and that we are part of the Church.”

“We feel included and like we are part of the Mass. We feel important, and he makes us feel that the youth count and that we belong to the Church,” she said.

Espino was one of some 300 Panamanian youths who came to Rome to receive the official World Youth Day cross from Polish young people during Pope Francis’ Palm Sunday Mass April 9.

The Mass coincided with the 32nd WYD, themed “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name,” and is the first step in preparing for the global 2019 WYD in Panama.

The youths were present along with Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama and Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan of David. Their itinerary included not only Mass with the Pope, but a prayer vigil the night before and meetings with the organizers of WYD and the upcoming 2018 synod of bishops on “Faith, Young People and the Discernment of Vocation.”

In a prayer vigil held April 8 in anticipation of this year’s diocesan-level WYD celebration, Pope Francis told the thousands of young people gathered in the Basilica of St. Mary Major to be protagonists in the preparation process for the two events, because the Church needs to hear their voice.

Espino said that for her, what she would tell the Church, particularly priests, is that “the youth are very important and that it’s an honor that the Pope chose Panama (for WYD).” She said she would also tell them that as youth “we are ready to give everything to give the best possible and to give face to our country.”

Similarly, Paul Tijerino, 24, who was present at the prayer vigil along with a number of other Panamanian youth, said his message to the Church would be that “we do not get tired of following God, of always following his example, of being humble in what we do.”

“We are aware of what we can be the only Gospel that a person reads,” he said, and voiced his hope that “our actions reflect this living Christ and when people see us, they see Christ, and not only that they see Christ, but see that we are guided by Mary.”

Tijerino was one of two youths to shake hands with Pope Francis at the prayer vigil as the Roman Pontiff was leaving, and all he could say about it was “wow!”

For him, Pope Francis is “a model of life, an example to follow in humility, simplicity and in everything that he represents.”

“He has turned the Church,” the young man said, explaining that what impacted him most about the Pope’s message to young people at the prayer vigil was “the message he gave on the syond …because it helps us a lot to know what it is that we want to do in our lives.”

“I feel that this is what young people should look for,” he said. “To know what is the plan that God has for us in order to be able to prepare it.”

“We are waiting for them with open arms,” he said, explaining that he plans to prepare with a lot of prayer and community events, by trying to make his life “an example for others” and by trying “to follow the Pope gives us.”

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, said WYD – which will be held in Panama Jan. 22-27, 2019 – needs to be prepared in tandem with the synod on youth “because WYD is for the youth. WYD has a history and a tradition, and now we’re having the first synod on the youth.”

Speaking to journalists during an April 9 meeting on synod and WYD preparations, he said that “We need to prepare with consultation from the youth,” explaining that at nearly 70 years old, “I don’t think like the youth do,” so there is a need to speak with them as well as the priests and bishops who are closer to their reality.

And this means speaking not just with youth who are constant Church-goers, but also those who are perhaps atheists or who no longer go to Church, he said, referring to comments Pope Francis had made on this point during the prayer vigil.

Perhaps the most difficult part of preparing, he said, will be to “enter into contact with the youth, but it needs to be done (and) we need to change the system that we use.” Rather than just sending out letters to bishops, Cardinal Farrell said the dicastery is looking to develop ways for youth to contribute online.

“We need to do what Pope Francis says: go out, go beyond the doors of the Church and of all the organizations” in order to reach especially those who are far off.

For his part on the diocesan level in Panama, Cardinal Lacunza said that at this point, things are already moving forward and “there’s no going back.”

“We remain with the task of raising awareness, to make everyone see that they should participate and that everyone can open their doors to welcome pilgrims so that no one feels like a stranger,” he said, explaining that since the country is so small, part of their preparations involve asking locals to open the doors of their homes to those who come for the global event.

To have the synod on youth happen just before WYD, he said, “is another blessing from God.” On the journey from Krakow to Panama “you pass through the synod,” he said, explaining that for him, the synod will be an opportunity for WYD to be “even more meaningful and impactful.”

While there are only a few months in between the October synod and the WYD gathering in January, Cardinal Lacunza said that “if the Pope proposed it and insists, it can be done and it will be a wonderful opportunity to deliver to WYD the result of the synod.”

Europe

Previous Post

April 11, 2017

Consistory announced to approve Fatima children's canonization

Next Post

April 11, 2017 Bible scholar gives inside look at Vatican's Stations of the Cross

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern for prophesying against Jerusalem.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE