Young people, the faith and the discernment of vocation
The director of the Secretariat of Mission, Brother Carlos Alberto Rojas, participated in a meeting on behalf of the Institute of the Marist Brothers alongside other religious to help hundreds of youth prepare one of the documents that bishops will use for their synod.
Around 300 youths from different cultural and religious backgrounds gathered at the Vatican for a March 19-24 pre-synod meeting, which is a precursor to the October synod of bishops on “Young people, the faith and the discernment of vocation.”
Br Carlos Alberto was asked to supervise one of the 20 different language groups of 15 youths alongside Father Raúl Tinajero, pastoral youth director of the Spanish Episcopal Conference(ORI ESP: director pastoral de juventud de la Conferencia Episcopal Española), in charge of drafting a document that was presented to Pope Francis during his March 24 Palm Sunday Mass.
Between the Rome gathering and social media participation through six different Facebook groups in different languages monitored by other youth, over 15,000 young people took part in the discussion.
They discussed an initial draft on Thursday and, after adjustments were made, a final draft was approved on the morning of March 24.
The three sections of the finalized 16-page document are: the challenges and opportunities of young people; faith, vocation, discernment and accompaniment and the Church’s formative and pastoral activities.
The document’s introduction affirms it does not aim at being “a theological treatise” nor “to establish new Church teaching,” but rather to serve as “a compass” for the bishops gathering in October that helps them understand the reality of youth today.
Requests include that the Church “addresses the widespread crisis of pornography, including online child abuse, and the toll it takes on our humanity” and to specify what the role of women in the Church entails.
Regarding vocation, youth underscored that it is still an “abstract” concept to many and that therefore they do not reflect much on it.
They also affirmed that many feel “excluded for being Christians in a social environment that is adverse to religion,” and stressed the need to “encounter ourselves and others” to form deep bonds.
Youth said that what they want is to be “a joyful, enthusiastic and missionary presence within the Church.”
See the document: