This morning, during the 17th General Congregation of the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Youth, which took place in the Synod Hall at the Vatican, the third round of reports from the 14 sharing groups were presented.
English Group A
Moderator
Cardinal Oswald Garcias
Relator
His Excellency, Eamon Martin
The Holy Spirit is rejuvenating the Church through this Synod. Holy Father, when you were at World Youth Day in Kraków, you asked the young people several times, “Can we change things?” Again and again their answer was a resounding “Yes!” In calling this Synod, you reminded us that young people are in your heart and in the heart of the Church. Led by the Spirit you have brought us on a ‘synodal journey’ for almost two years, leading to this graced month of discernment for the bishops of the world. In a curious reversal of roles, it is the young people here present who have accompanied us, helping us to scrutinise ‘the signs of the times’ and to discern, ‘in the light of the Gospel’ what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.
Our Group felt that this synodal journey should not end here; in many ways we are beginning a new phase, as we journey home bringing with us the insights and ideas we have learned here, tasked with sharing them with our episcopal conferences, dioceses and parishes. In doing so, we might seek to mirror for our particular churches at diocesan, regional and national levels, the methodology of : “Recognise”, “Interpret”, “Choose”.
What has the Holy Spirit been saying to us at this Synod? It is clear that our young people are being called to holiness- as married or single people, as priests or consecrated persons. They are being gifted with charisms, through Baptism and Confirmation, to embrace their unique role in the new evangelisation. If we are to truly value their contribution at local level, then we must share best practice to support the pastoral activities that will strengthen the connections between Church and the young. We must ‘go the extra mile’ to be present in the complex realities of their lives. During the synodal process, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we have identified the need for ‘a preferential option’ for our young people.
Our Group highlighted the following areas for pastoral action:
1. Practical resources and guidance for parents and grandparents as the ‘first teachers’ of the young, and for the family which is ‘the little Church’, ‘the school of love and humanity’;
2. Renewed encouragement for our Catholic schools and universities, for quality teacher formation and vibrant chaplaincies; (after all, as Pope Francis has said, “to educate is an act of love, it is to give life”).
3. A greater contribution from women, families and young lay leaders in seminary formation;
4. Organised opportunities for young people to connect with their peers and others on pilgrimages, gatherings and events of popular piety;
5. ‘Youcat’, ‘Docat’ ‘Kidcat?!’ and other Programmes to support a ‘kerygmatic catechesis’ which offer a sound understanding of faith within a prayerful context of encounter and friendship with Christ in His Church;
6. Opportunities for art, music, youth choirs, and sport to open up beauty, friendship, belonging and teamwork;
7. Active participation of youth in liturgy, in Associations, Movements, basic Christian communities and in all Church activities, including in consultative and decision-making roles.
In short, we are talking about the re-imagination of parishes and structures so that young people are heard, listened to, appreciated and encouraged. The goal of this work is to offer to them, as Christifidelis Laici puts it so beautifully, a threefold experience of Church - as ‘mystery’, ‘communion’ and ‘mission’.
Many of us arrived at this Synod believing that it was about pastoral ministry TO young people - particularly given the many challenging situations they face throughout world - from poverty and persecution to violence and human trafficking, migration, their vulnerability on social media, their compulsions and addictions, their loss of bearings and their longing for stable reference points and a sense of direction and purpose in life. The Synod has allowed us to reflect on all these things and about how we might reach out to our young people, who sometimes seem “harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd”.
But the Spirithas also reminded us strongly at the Synod that young people are not simply the OBJECTS of our evangelisation and pastoral ministry; they are also the AGENTS of evangelisation to each other and, indeed, to the whole Church. With proper formation and accompaniment, our young people can be the missionary disciples who will bring thelight of faith to their peers and even to those who are far away from Church. As this Synod put it, they are PROTAGONISTS, called and gifted by the Spirit in their own right to be active participants in the new evangelisation.
As volunteers at home and abroad, they can be missionary disciples among the poor, agents of social action, advocates for the protection of Life, builders of a civilisation of love, contributors to ecumenism and reconciliation, apostles to young migrants, leaders and advocates in addressing grave issues like human slavery and trafficking, and, carers for our common home. The call to holiness of these young ‘protagonists’ includes an invitation that they might transform temporal society - their world of media, politics, the digital highways, business, commerce and healthcare - transform, from within, with the values of the Gospel and the merciful love of God.
Our Group discussed extensively the challenges and questions surrounding the Church’s vision of the body and human sexuality. We have offered a modus to paragraph 197 on this issue which seeks to present the Church’sbeautiful, yet challenging, vision, teaching and anthropology of the body, sexuality, love and life, marriage and chastity. At the same time, we restate the Church’s opposition to discrimination against any person or group, and Her insistence that God loves every young person, and so does the Church!
Holy Father, in your recent visit to Ireland you visited and prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland. Almost forty years ago Pope St John Paul II said there: “Every generation, with its own mentality and characteristics, is like a new continent to be won for Christ”.
This Synod has reflected on the concrete realities of this new continent, and of this new generation of young people. During interventions in the Aula and via the debates in the discussion groups, the Spirit has revealed to us that the greatest resource in winning this new generation, this new continent for Christ, is our young people themselves. Why should we be surprised at this, since God chose from among the sons of Jesse, David, the youngest, the shepherd boy, and bestowed his Spirit powerfully upon him? Why should we be surprised that God might again be choosing the youngest of his faithful as his ‘champions’ to confront the giant ‘Goliath’ challenges in today’s world?
Through this Synod, God has opened our eyes to see that it is our young people who are his chosen instruments. They are co-responsible with all of us for changing the world. We must be careful not to block the rejuvenating work of the Holy Spirit! On the contrary, our role is to facilitate it - to ensure that young people are formed and accompanied in the love of Christ by authentic guides and mentors, that they are schooled in prayer and sound catechesis, challenged to go out of their comfort zones to meet their peers in the peripheries, and strengthened by the witness of young saints and martyrs to endure setbacks, knocks and even persecutions for their faith.
As this Synod draws to a close we might ask once more, as Pope Francis did at Kraków: “Can we change things”? The Synod has helped us, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and with the infectious joy and support of our young people, to answer confidently: “Most certainly, Yes!
English Group B
Moderator
Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich
Relator
His Excellency, Mark Stuart Edwards, OMI
Holy Father,
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We ask that the draft of the final text be available in our own language to assist us in continuing to engage with the Synodal process.
Overall view
The concept of the evangelized and evangelizing Church should frame and direct the structure in Part 3. In that spirit, we suggest that (an adapted) Chapter 3 would be appropriate as the first chapter in this Part.
We then recommend that Part 3 be organized in four chapters:
· who we are
· what we are to do
· to whom we are sent
· what our priorities are to be
Christ and evangelization need to be included in many articles. This reticence is unhelpful and unbecoming.
Part 3 has large sections that are not about choosing and acting. Fewer words would not weaken it. Indeed, it would strengthen it.
Formation
Chaplaincy
The explanation of the role and goals of chaplaincy needs to be strengthened in its many contexts: hospitals, schools, Catholic universities, secular universities and so on. Also, chaplaincy is now most often and effectively carried out in a team environment.
Seminary Formation
We spent a long time discussing seminary formation. Among the points we raised was the need to train future Church leaders to accompany others. New models of formation have been proposed that are more experiential and community focused.
Ministry for and with young people
The document requires a section on the formation of youth ministers as well as the nature and scope of youth ministry. The document requires a section on how to form those who minister to young people and on the nature of ministry to young people. Such a section might describe how they are recruited, trained, supported and accompanied in their work, together with the young people in their youth ministry. We propose that our pastoral plan for youth ministry should be intentional, comprehensive, focussed, planned and resourced.
We strongly recommend that pastoral structures for accountability, safe environment, regular reviews and ongoing formation for those accompanying young people must be provided by the Church.
Ministering to those in difficulty
War
The article on war and its effects is far too weak and short in the light of what we have heard in the aula. The effects felt by those who are caught up in war are deep and traumatic. They need to know that they have not been forgotten, that the Church remembers, cares and is trying to do something. The effects of wars and conflicts is felt for generations.
Migration
Migration also needs to be treated more comprehensively. We heard in the aula that this is a significant issue. The four words that Pope Francis used could be very helpful: Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees. There is also a need to promote the right to remain.
Religious Persecution
The difficulties experienced by Catholics through persecution should be addressed. We heard strongly in our small group about the persecution experienced by Catholics in some areas.
Other issues
Youths who experience same-sex attraction
We discussed the issue of Catholics who experience same sex attraction or gender dysphoria. We propose a separate section for this issue and that the main objective of this be the pastoral accompaniment of these people which follows the lines of the relevant section of the Catechism in the Catholic Church.
The role of youth in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue
We have mentioned in our modi multiple places where this can be observed and some places where it can be inserted in the text.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
We recommend that the Sacrament of Confirmation and its role be highlighted in the final text.
Other items
We also offered modi on:
entering the digital environment
media, theatre, art and sport
young people whose lives are marked by illness or disability
friendship
political and social engagement
parish, school, university and workplace ministry
ministering to youth who live in rural areas
The role of the auditor.
Our discussions have been enriched by the auditors and, as we continue our deliberations, we will keep in mind what you said. Thank you for your genuineness, your friendship, your devotion to the Lord and his Church and your dedication to the task at hand. We are very grateful.
English Group C
Moderator
Cardinal Joseph Coutts
Relator
His Excellency, Thomas Dowd
Preliminary comments
In looking at Part III, we saw that it was supposed to be a phase for "choosing", but we saw very little in the way of concrete suggestions for action.
Another weakness is that it flits between an inclusive approach that emphasizes that youth are part of the Church, and an approach that seems to wonder what the Church can do for youth. The approaches are inconsistent.
Another point is that part II was supposed to help us interpret the data of part I, but we are not really seeing an easy application of that principle to the text of part III.
How to move forward?
A brainstorming session led us to recognize three "major modi" that need to be the foundation of any individual action items.
Ultimately, Jesus himself, in his person and life, is our overall "paradigm for action". All individual action items need to connect to Him.
While we provide suggestions, particular churches will have to identify the concrete action items to follow based on their circumstances. We suggest that episcopal conferences be strongly invited to take up the results of the Synod and engage in a similar process of reflection in their own milieus, even including non-bishops in the deliberations, as this Synod has done.
This Synod and its resulting document not the end of a process, but a beginning. We have felt a special anointing in the Synod, a renewed "flame". As episcopal conferences take up the next stage of reflection, we suggest that they in turn do so in a way that encourages regional groups, dioceses, parishes and families to undertake a discernment process in turn, so that the "flame" spreads.
We brainstormed many other action items, but rather than propose them as modi they can be found here as examples of how our modus #1 ("Jesus as a paradigm for action") can be implemented in a concrete way.
Placing Jesus at the centre
Following upon the principle that Christ "reveals man (homo) to himself", we use Jesus himself as our hermeneutic for this third part.
Jesus is the protagonist of our salvation. He in turn invites us into a personal relationship with him. We accept him as Lord (Biblical image: John 13), and this opens us up to receiving the Holy Spirit. He in turns calls us his friends. (Biblical image: John 15.)
The kerygma must be announced in such a way that the work Christ accomplished is understood so as to also understand the greatness of the invitation he makes us. The Gospel must be proclaimed not as a burden but as a call to the fullness of freedom, joy and peace. The conversion that comes from this initial call is continuous: we want to keep our eyes fixed on Christ to avoid sinking beneath the waves (Biblical image: Peter walking on water).
1. Kerygmatic proclamation should be welcoming, even (and especially) to those who might feel excluded -- communities themselves should demonstrate warmth, friendliness, places of relationship
2. Expressing the more difficult teachings (e.g. around sexuality) not just as rules but showing the values underpinning those teachings.
3. Kerygmatic catechesis, based on "start from the questions" concept
4. Religious leaders should be specially formed in building bridges and forming relationships
3. For many people, the personal relationship with Christ is mediated through the Church. Scandals and pastoral attitudes and approaches that lead to a counter-witness need to purified. The Church can and must reform so that it is truly a safe and trustworthy environment.
1. We need tools of good governance in our institutions to make them be (and seen as) trustworthy.
2. We must be visibly proactive in dealing with these scandals (and future ones)
4.Jesus is our model. With the Holy Spirit, we are called to incarnate his attributes in our life of discipleship. This is the principle behind the call to holiness. This "process of incarnation" is necessarily gradual, and requires spiritual formation and accompaniment.
1.Training in spiritual direction, making it available, keeping in mind spiritual guides should be icons of the living Christ
5. Christ was young when he accomplished his mission on earth. He needed to "grow in wisdom" over the course of his life (Luke 2:52). This is not some sort of defect in the incarnation, but a demonstration that "growing in wisdom" is actually a blessed part of being human. Accompanying young people is not about "getting more ministers". It is a sacred task, part of the ongoing process of incarnating Christ in the Church.
◦ As a corollary, we must avoid confusing physical age with maturity. Christ was young but not immature. (Biblical image: we can think of Paul and Timothy here.)
1. Draw up a formation road map, highlighting ways we can nurture the blossoming of youth in leadership, and the development of qualities. The aim should be to inculcate virtues, habits, skills and qualities that will enhance their intellectual, human, spiritual and affective maturity
2. Youth should be given opportunities to lead based on actual maturity and ability, not stereotyped maturity based on age alone
6. Considered spiritually, the most perfect encounter with Jesus is in the Eucharist. It calls us to continuous conversion of our lives, both individually and as a community. It is also a “divine service”, in that that Christ is coming to serve, heal and strengthen us. This is a form of mystagogia -- on an ongoing basis, we are being "initiated" more deeply into the mystery of Christ and discover the fullness of life.
1. A call to improve the actual celebration (ars celebrandi) especially in preaching and music, so that the participants feel the action of Christ in the liturgy -- a bigger dose of joy!
2. We should not forget the disabled in our liturgies -- being sure they are included shows forth the unity of the Body of Christ!
7. The grace of the Eucharist extends beyond the end of the celebration. As he did with his disciples when he sent them out two by two, Jesus sends us on mission (Luke 10:1-11). The transition from recipients of pastoral care to collaborators in pastoral care is part of the process of maturation. We do not need to wait for young people to magically “be ready” to join the “grown-ups” before they start being active. They possess the Holy Spirit, and engaging in mission - with accompaniment from a partner in mission - is part of the growth process.
1. Training needs to be given to accompaniers, and those being accompanied need to be trained in it as part of their training.
2. Use of volunteer years as formation opportunities
8. Part of "incarnating Christ" is the acceptance of the cross. He took it up, and he specifically called us to "take up our cross and follow him" (Mark 8:34). The word "martyr" originally means "witness". As disciples who are sent we must "witness" in part by the renunciation of self we are called to (i.e. to carry our cross), even if it doesn't lead to the martyrdom of blood (or even if it does).
1. The use of testimonies is a powerful part of proclamation and formation.
9. The mission to which Jesus sends us is expressed in our specific vocation. Living our vocation will always involve some level of self-renunciation, as otherwise we are trying to keep "all vocational doors open". This renunciation is part of growth in maturity (Biblical image: the call of Jeremiah).
1. Making sure we present a complete picture of vocation, which does not discount specifically religious vocations but which does not discount other vocations either
2. Help people discover their talents, give them platforms to use them
3. Help to foster hope for the married vocation (cf Amoris laetitia)
4. Connect vocation to the notion of work, as that is where many are looking for their vocation
10. We recognize that Jesus identifies himself with the poorest and most vulnerable (Biblical image: Matthew 25). Therefore, our service is not just a form of "Christian humanitarianism", it is service to Christ himself. And many of those who are poor and vulnerable (with whom Christ identifies most strongly) are themselves young people.
1. Care for creation
2. Service to migrants, refugees, IDP
3. Human trafficking
4. Service on the political scene, for justice and peace
5. Counselling to those who are wounded
6. Care for the sick, incarcerated persons
7. Assistance to families in difficult circumstances, young pregnancies and single mothers
8. Education -- expanding access (e.g. via financial support)
11. This "incarnating of Christ" must also be lived by intermediate communities such as small groups, religious communities, movements, parishes, dioceses, episcopal conferences, and so on. We cannot consider just the individual or universal levels of the Church -- the levels in between are often where this "incarnation" really happens.
1. Networking -- inside and outside the church
2. Giving ourselves institutional tools to live and work as one body:
A. Presence of youth in pastoral councils/forums (parish, diocesan, episcopal conference)
B. Youth councils/hubs
C. Dicastery for youth that would coordinate youth-related themes that are found already in dicasteries but not in a networked way.
D. All discussion bodies to be trained in methods of discernment, not just decision making
3. Working ecumenically
4. Our intermediate church bodies could use a Year for Youth to help them along in this process of conversion.
5. Spiritual leaders in the Church need to be formed in this new approach to youth formation, inclusion and leadership
6. The place of women in leadership: is it currently allowing women to make their fullest possible contribution of service as members of the body?
7. Multiculturalism, diversity in the church
8. Regional Youth Days with international participation
English Group D
Moderator
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Relator
His Excellency, Robert Emmet Barron
It has been a great joy to participate in the lively and illuminating conversations of English group “D,” and it is a privilege to convey to the Synod the fruit of our reflections on the third major part of the IL.
We feel that it would be wise once again to reference the narrative of the disciples on the road to Emmaus as we commence the final section. Having walked with friends and having taught them, Jesus breaks open the bread and then, as Balthasar beautifully put it, “disappears into the mission of the Church.” With all of their gifts, energy, and enthusiasm, young people today are sent to bear Christ to the world, to be, in the words of Teresa of Avila, the Lord’s hands, feet, eyes, and ears. They go as envoys of the crucified and risen Messiah and hence as bearers of a message of self-emptying love.
A second and related theme that deeply interested our group is the call to holiness. Both on the Synod floor and in our conversations, it became eminently clear that young people crave holiness of life and desire practical training that will help them walk the path of sanctity. In this regard, we felt that a section on the virtues would be useful addition to our document. The classical virtues, both cardinal and theological, should be taught and the habits that inculcate them should be encouraged. This is a theme close to the heart of Pope Francis, for he develops it at some length in chapter seven of Amoris Laetitia. The Holy Father also specifies, in that same chapter, that the family is the privileged place where this fundamental training in holiness occurs. We believe that this motif should be developed in our document as well. Finally, we hold that young people ought, in an intentional manner, to be given instruction in prayer, the meditative reading of Scripture, and the active participation in the sacraments.
A third theme follows directly upon this, for holiness, as Vatican II so clearly taught, shows up in the world; it manifests itself in a commitment to sanctify the secular arena. Young people especially ought to hear the summons to become great Catholic lawyers, great Catholic physicians, great Catholic journalists, great Catholic business leaders, etc. They should be encouraged to stand against corrupt and oppressive governments, to address the societal dysfunction that compels many to migrate from their native countries, to oppose ideological colonization, to find the paths of peace, to foster business practices that empower and lift up the poor. None of this should be seen as a burden, but as a call to spiritual adventure.
Fourthly, the issue of the liturgy found a good deal of resonance with our group. On the one hand, we acknowledge that for many young people, in various parts of the world, the liturgy can seem tedious and distant from life. In some cultural contexts, this has led the young to abandon the Catholic Church and to embrace the livelier worship offered in the Pentecostal churches. On the other hand, many younger Catholics witness to the extraordinary power of the liturgy to draw them into a sense of the transcendent. We strongly affirm those sections of the IL that reference Taize prayer, devotional practices, and music both classical and contemporary that brings people to God and evangelizes them. Some in our group insisted that we have to improve our catechesis in regard to liturgy, teaching young people what the Mass is and how precisely to participate in it. Others said that we have, perhaps, put too strong a stress on the horizontal dimension of the liturgy at the expense of the vertical. The result is that many youths appreciate the Mass as a sort of religiously-themed jamboree and not an encounter with the living God.
Fifthly, we feel that the section of the digital media as a means of evangelization ought to be particularly emphasized and expanded upon. In most of the Western countries, the fastest-growing religious group are the “nones,” that is to say, those who claim no religious affiliation. In the United States, fully 25 percent self-identify in this way, and among those under the age of thirty, the percentage rises to 40. For armies of our young people, Jesus is a fictional figure from an ancient myth, God is a superstitious holdover from a pre-scientific time, and religion simply a source of conflict and violence. Most of the “nones” are, at best, indifferent to the faith and at worst hostile to it. But by a kind of miracle of divine providence, we have, through the social media, a tool to reach these young unaffiliated who would never darken the doors of our churches or participate in any of our catechetical or spiritual programs. A video posted on YouTube or Facebook is permanently available 24 hours a day, seven days a week—and it can find its way into the most remote and even hostile corners of the contemporary world. We feel that a particularly fruitful method is to create materials that identify semina verbi (seeds of the Word) within both the popular and the high culture. It would be wise for bishops to equip both clergy and laity to engage the social media world for evangelical purposes. Especially young people, who have digital skills in their blood and their fingers, ought to be lifted up for this ministry.
A sixth motif that garnered our attention is that of the practical instantiation of the work of this Synod. Fully realizing that the resources of the Church, both financial and personal, are limited, we feel that local bishops’ conferences and bishops of dioceses ought to prioritize the evangelization and empowerment of young people. In some parts of the world, this might mean that the catechesis of the young is paramount, while in other parts of the world, it might translate into the providing of economic opportunities. It would be wise, we think, to sponsor local Synods for youth in various dioceses, regions, or nations. In any case, we simply cannot allow our work these last weeks to remain an abstraction.
Finally, we spent a good deal of time reflecting on the motif of the Church’s stance of welcome and inclusivity. We fully and enthusiastically acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ reaches out in love to absolutely everyone. Like the Lord on the road to Emmaus, faithful disciples of Jesus accompany even with those who are walking the wrong way. The arms of the Bernini colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, beckoning to the whole world, beautifully symbolize this desire to gather everyone in. This is why no one, on account of gender, lifestyle, or sexual orientation, should ever be made to feel unloved, uncared for. However, as St. Thomas Aquinas specifies, love means “willing the good of the other.” And this is why authentic love by no means excludes the call to conversion, to change of life. Indeed, in St. Mark’s Gospel, practically the first word out of the mouth of Jesus is metanoiete (convert, turn your life around). Jesus finds people where they are, but he never leaves them where they are; rather, he calls them into the deep, into fullness of friendship with him. Part of the pastoral genius of Catholicism is precisely the maintaining of this delicate balance between welcome and challenge.
Reports from the Small Sharing Groups
English Group A
Moderator
Cardinal Oswald Garcias
Relator
His Excellency, Eamon Martin
The Holy Spirit is rejuvenating the Church through this Synod. Holy Father, when you were at World Youth Day in Kraków, you asked the young people several times, “Can we change things?” Again and again their answer was a resounding “Yes!” In calling this Synod, you reminded us that young people are in your heart and in the heart of the Church. Led by the Spirit you have brought us on a ‘synodal journey’ for almost two years, leading to this graced month of discernment for the bishops of the world. In a curious reversal of roles, it is the young people here present who have accompanied us, helping us to scrutinise ‘the signs of the times’ and to discern, ‘in the light of the Gospel’ what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.
Our Group felt that this synodal journey should not end here; in many ways we are beginning a new phase, as we journey home bringing with us the insights and ideas we have learned here, tasked with sharing them with our episcopal conferences, dioceses and parishes. In doing so, we might seek to mirror for our particular churches at diocesan, regional and national levels, the methodology of : “Recognise”, “Interpret”, “Choose”.
What has the Holy Spirit been saying to us at this Synod? It is clear that our young people are being called to holiness- as married or single people, as priests or consecrated persons. They are being gifted with charisms, through Baptism and Confirmation, to embrace their unique role in the new evangelisation. If we are to truly value their contribution at local level, then we must share best practice to support the pastoral activities that will strengthen the connections between Church and the young. We must ‘go the extra mile’ to be present in the complex realities of their lives. During the synodal process, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we have identified the need for ‘a preferential option’ for our young people.
Our Group highlighted the following areas for pastoral action:
1. Practical resources and guidance for parents and grandparents as the ‘first teachers’ of the young, and for the family which is ‘the little Church’, ‘the school of love and humanity’;
2. Renewed encouragement for our Catholic schools and universities, for quality teacher formation and vibrant chaplaincies; (after all, as Pope Francis has said, “to educate is an act of love, it is to give life”).
3. A greater contribution from women, families and young lay leaders in seminary formation;
4. Organised opportunities for young people to connect with their peers and others on pilgrimages, gatherings and events of popular piety;
5. ‘Youcat’, ‘Docat’ ‘Kidcat?!’ and other Programmes to support a ‘kerygmatic catechesis’ which offer a sound understanding of faith within a prayerful context of encounter and friendship with Christ in His Church;
6. Opportunities for art, music, youth choirs, and sport to open up beauty, friendship, belonging and teamwork;
7. Active participation of youth in liturgy, in Associations, Movements, basic Christian communities and in all Church activities, including in consultative and decision-making roles.
In short, we are talking about the re-imagination of parishes and structures so that young people are heard, listened to, appreciated and encouraged. The goal of this work is to offer to them, as Christifidelis Laici puts it so beautifully, a threefold experience of Church - as ‘mystery’, ‘communion’ and ‘mission’.
Many of us arrived at this Synod believing that it was about pastoral ministry TO young people - particularly given the many challenging situations they face throughout world - from poverty and persecution to violence and human trafficking, migration, their vulnerability on social media, their compulsions and addictions, their loss of bearings and their longing for stable reference points and a sense of direction and purpose in life. The Synod has allowed us to reflect on all these things and about how we might reach out to our young people, who sometimes seem “harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd”.
But the Spirithas also reminded us strongly at the Synod that young people are not simply the OBJECTS of our evangelisation and pastoral ministry; they are also the AGENTS of evangelisation to each other and, indeed, to the whole Church. With proper formation and accompaniment, our young people can be the missionary disciples who will bring thelight of faith to their peers and even to those who are far away from Church. As this Synod put it, they are PROTAGONISTS, called and gifted by the Spirit in their own right to be active participants in the new evangelisation.
As volunteers at home and abroad, they can be missionary disciples among the poor, agents of social action, advocates for the protection of Life, builders of a civilisation of love, contributors to ecumenism and reconciliation, apostles to young migrants, leaders and advocates in addressing grave issues like human slavery and trafficking, and, carers for our common home. The call to holiness of these young ‘protagonists’ includes an invitation that they might transform temporal society - their world of media, politics, the digital highways, business, commerce and healthcare - transform, from within, with the values of the Gospel and the merciful love of God.
Our Group discussed extensively the challenges and questions surrounding the Church’s vision of the body and human sexuality. We have offered a modus to paragraph 197 on this issue which seeks to present the Church’sbeautiful, yet challenging, vision, teaching and anthropology of the body, sexuality, love and life, marriage and chastity. At the same time, we restate the Church’s opposition to discrimination against any person or group, and Her insistence that God loves every young person, and so does the Church!
Holy Father, in your recent visit to Ireland you visited and prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland. Almost forty years ago Pope St John Paul II said there: “Every generation, with its own mentality and characteristics, is like a new continent to be won for Christ”.
This Synod has reflected on the concrete realities of this new continent, and of this new generation of young people. During interventions in the Aula and via the debates in the discussion groups, the Spirit has revealed to us that the greatest resource in winning this new generation, this new continent for Christ, is our young people themselves. Why should we be surprised at this, since God chose from among the sons of Jesse, David, the youngest, the shepherd boy, and bestowed his Spirit powerfully upon him? Why should we be surprised that God might again be choosing the youngest of his faithful as his ‘champions’ to confront the giant ‘Goliath’ challenges in today’s world?
Through this Synod, God has opened our eyes to see that it is our young people who are his chosen instruments. They are co-responsible with all of us for changing the world. We must be careful not to block the rejuvenating work of the Holy Spirit! On the contrary, our role is to facilitate it - to ensure that young people are formed and accompanied in the love of Christ by authentic guides and mentors, that they are schooled in prayer and sound catechesis, challenged to go out of their comfort zones to meet their peers in the peripheries, and strengthened by the witness of young saints and martyrs to endure setbacks, knocks and even persecutions for their faith.
As this Synod draws to a close we might ask once more, as Pope Francis did at Kraków: “Can we change things”? The Synod has helped us, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and with the infectious joy and support of our young people, to answer confidently: “Most certainly, Yes!
English Group B
Moderator
Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich
Relator
His Excellency, Mark Stuart Edwards, OMI
Holy Father,
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We ask that the draft of the final text be available in our own language to assist us in continuing to engage with the Synodal process.
Overall view
The concept of the evangelized and evangelizing Church should frame and direct the structure in Part 3. In that spirit, we suggest that (an adapted) Chapter 3 would be appropriate as the first chapter in this Part.
We then recommend that Part 3 be organized in four chapters:
· who we are
· what we are to do
· to whom we are sent
· what our priorities are to be
Christ and evangelization need to be included in many articles. This reticence is unhelpful and unbecoming.
Part 3 has large sections that are not about choosing and acting. Fewer words would not weaken it. Indeed, it would strengthen it.
Formation
Chaplaincy
The explanation of the role and goals of chaplaincy needs to be strengthened in its many contexts: hospitals, schools, Catholic universities, secular universities and so on. Also, chaplaincy is now most often and effectively carried out in a team environment.
Seminary Formation
We spent a long time discussing seminary formation. Among the points we raised was the need to train future Church leaders to accompany others. New models of formation have been proposed that are more experiential and community focused.
Ministry for and with young people
The document requires a section on the formation of youth ministers as well as the nature and scope of youth ministry. The document requires a section on how to form those who minister to young people and on the nature of ministry to young people. Such a section might describe how they are recruited, trained, supported and accompanied in their work, together with the young people in their youth ministry. We propose that our pastoral plan for youth ministry should be intentional, comprehensive, focussed, planned and resourced.
We strongly recommend that pastoral structures for accountability, safe environment, regular reviews and ongoing formation for those accompanying young people must be provided by the Church.
Ministering to those in difficulty
War
The article on war and its effects is far too weak and short in the light of what we have heard in the aula. The effects felt by those who are caught up in war are deep and traumatic. They need to know that they have not been forgotten, that the Church remembers, cares and is trying to do something. The effects of wars and conflicts is felt for generations.
Migration
Migration also needs to be treated more comprehensively. We heard in the aula that this is a significant issue. The four words that Pope Francis used could be very helpful: Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees. There is also a need to promote the right to remain.
Religious Persecution
The difficulties experienced by Catholics through persecution should be addressed. We heard strongly in our small group about the persecution experienced by Catholics in some areas.
Other issues
Youths who experience same-sex attraction
We discussed the issue of Catholics who experience same sex attraction or gender dysphoria. We propose a separate section for this issue and that the main objective of this be the pastoral accompaniment of these people which follows the lines of the relevant section of the Catechism in the Catholic Church.
The role of youth in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue
We have mentioned in our modi multiple places where this can be observed and some places where it can be inserted in the text.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
We recommend that the Sacrament of Confirmation and its role be highlighted in the final text.
Other items
We also offered modi on:
entering the digital environment
media, theatre, art and sport
young people whose lives are marked by illness or disability
friendship
political and social engagement
parish, school, university and workplace ministry
ministering to youth who live in rural areas
The role of the auditor.
Our discussions have been enriched by the auditors and, as we continue our deliberations, we will keep in mind what you said. Thank you for your genuineness, your friendship, your devotion to the Lord and his Church and your dedication to the task at hand. We are very grateful.
English Group C
Moderator
Cardinal Joseph Coutts
Relator
His Excellency, Thomas Dowd
Preliminary comments
In looking at Part III, we saw that it was supposed to be a phase for "choosing", but we saw very little in the way of concrete suggestions for action.
Another weakness is that it flits between an inclusive approach that emphasizes that youth are part of the Church, and an approach that seems to wonder what the Church can do for youth. The approaches are inconsistent.
Another point is that part II was supposed to help us interpret the data of part I, but we are not really seeing an easy application of that principle to the text of part III.
How to move forward?
A brainstorming session led us to recognize three "major modi" that need to be the foundation of any individual action items.
Ultimately, Jesus himself, in his person and life, is our overall "paradigm for action". All individual action items need to connect to Him.
While we provide suggestions, particular churches will have to identify the concrete action items to follow based on their circumstances. We suggest that episcopal conferences be strongly invited to take up the results of the Synod and engage in a similar process of reflection in their own milieus, even including non-bishops in the deliberations, as this Synod has done.
This Synod and its resulting document not the end of a process, but a beginning. We have felt a special anointing in the Synod, a renewed "flame". As episcopal conferences take up the next stage of reflection, we suggest that they in turn do so in a way that encourages regional groups, dioceses, parishes and families to undertake a discernment process in turn, so that the "flame" spreads.
We brainstormed many other action items, but rather than propose them as modi they can be found here as examples of how our modus #1 ("Jesus as a paradigm for action") can be implemented in a concrete way.
Placing Jesus at the centre
Following upon the principle that Christ "reveals man (homo) to himself", we use Jesus himself as our hermeneutic for this third part.
Jesus is the protagonist of our salvation. He in turn invites us into a personal relationship with him. We accept him as Lord (Biblical image: John 13), and this opens us up to receiving the Holy Spirit. He in turns calls us his friends. (Biblical image: John 15.)
The kerygma must be announced in such a way that the work Christ accomplished is understood so as to also understand the greatness of the invitation he makes us. The Gospel must be proclaimed not as a burden but as a call to the fullness of freedom, joy and peace. The conversion that comes from this initial call is continuous: we want to keep our eyes fixed on Christ to avoid sinking beneath the waves (Biblical image: Peter walking on water).
1. Kerygmatic proclamation should be welcoming, even (and especially) to those who might feel excluded -- communities themselves should demonstrate warmth, friendliness, places of relationship
2. Expressing the more difficult teachings (e.g. around sexuality) not just as rules but showing the values underpinning those teachings.
3. Kerygmatic catechesis, based on "start from the questions" concept
4. Religious leaders should be specially formed in building bridges and forming relationships
3. For many people, the personal relationship with Christ is mediated through the Church. Scandals and pastoral attitudes and approaches that lead to a counter-witness need to purified. The Church can and must reform so that it is truly a safe and trustworthy environment.
1. We need tools of good governance in our institutions to make them be (and seen as) trustworthy.
2. We must be visibly proactive in dealing with these scandals (and future ones)
4.Jesus is our model. With the Holy Spirit, we are called to incarnate his attributes in our life of discipleship. This is the principle behind the call to holiness. This "process of incarnation" is necessarily gradual, and requires spiritual formation and accompaniment.
1.Training in spiritual direction, making it available, keeping in mind spiritual guides should be icons of the living Christ
5. Christ was young when he accomplished his mission on earth. He needed to "grow in wisdom" over the course of his life (Luke 2:52). This is not some sort of defect in the incarnation, but a demonstration that "growing in wisdom" is actually a blessed part of being human. Accompanying young people is not about "getting more ministers". It is a sacred task, part of the ongoing process of incarnating Christ in the Church.
◦ As a corollary, we must avoid confusing physical age with maturity. Christ was young but not immature. (Biblical image: we can think of Paul and Timothy here.)
1. Draw up a formation road map, highlighting ways we can nurture the blossoming of youth in leadership, and the development of qualities. The aim should be to inculcate virtues, habits, skills and qualities that will enhance their intellectual, human, spiritual and affective maturity
2. Youth should be given opportunities to lead based on actual maturity and ability, not stereotyped maturity based on age alone
6. Considered spiritually, the most perfect encounter with Jesus is in the Eucharist. It calls us to continuous conversion of our lives, both individually and as a community. It is also a “divine service”, in that that Christ is coming to serve, heal and strengthen us. This is a form of mystagogia -- on an ongoing basis, we are being "initiated" more deeply into the mystery of Christ and discover the fullness of life.
1. A call to improve the actual celebration (ars celebrandi) especially in preaching and music, so that the participants feel the action of Christ in the liturgy -- a bigger dose of joy!
2. We should not forget the disabled in our liturgies -- being sure they are included shows forth the unity of the Body of Christ!
7. The grace of the Eucharist extends beyond the end of the celebration. As he did with his disciples when he sent them out two by two, Jesus sends us on mission (Luke 10:1-11). The transition from recipients of pastoral care to collaborators in pastoral care is part of the process of maturation. We do not need to wait for young people to magically “be ready” to join the “grown-ups” before they start being active. They possess the Holy Spirit, and engaging in mission - with accompaniment from a partner in mission - is part of the growth process.
1. Training needs to be given to accompaniers, and those being accompanied need to be trained in it as part of their training.
2. Use of volunteer years as formation opportunities
8. Part of "incarnating Christ" is the acceptance of the cross. He took it up, and he specifically called us to "take up our cross and follow him" (Mark 8:34). The word "martyr" originally means "witness". As disciples who are sent we must "witness" in part by the renunciation of self we are called to (i.e. to carry our cross), even if it doesn't lead to the martyrdom of blood (or even if it does).
1. The use of testimonies is a powerful part of proclamation and formation.
9. The mission to which Jesus sends us is expressed in our specific vocation. Living our vocation will always involve some level of self-renunciation, as otherwise we are trying to keep "all vocational doors open". This renunciation is part of growth in maturity (Biblical image: the call of Jeremiah).
1. Making sure we present a complete picture of vocation, which does not discount specifically religious vocations but which does not discount other vocations either
2. Help people discover their talents, give them platforms to use them
3. Help to foster hope for the married vocation (cf Amoris laetitia)
4. Connect vocation to the notion of work, as that is where many are looking for their vocation
10. We recognize that Jesus identifies himself with the poorest and most vulnerable (Biblical image: Matthew 25). Therefore, our service is not just a form of "Christian humanitarianism", it is service to Christ himself. And many of those who are poor and vulnerable (with whom Christ identifies most strongly) are themselves young people.
1. Care for creation
2. Service to migrants, refugees, IDP
3. Human trafficking
4. Service on the political scene, for justice and peace
5. Counselling to those who are wounded
6. Care for the sick, incarcerated persons
7. Assistance to families in difficult circumstances, young pregnancies and single mothers
8. Education -- expanding access (e.g. via financial support)
11. This "incarnating of Christ" must also be lived by intermediate communities such as small groups, religious communities, movements, parishes, dioceses, episcopal conferences, and so on. We cannot consider just the individual or universal levels of the Church -- the levels in between are often where this "incarnation" really happens.
1. Networking -- inside and outside the church
2. Giving ourselves institutional tools to live and work as one body:
A. Presence of youth in pastoral councils/forums (parish, diocesan, episcopal conference)
B. Youth councils/hubs
C. Dicastery for youth that would coordinate youth-related themes that are found already in dicasteries but not in a networked way.
D. All discussion bodies to be trained in methods of discernment, not just decision making
3. Working ecumenically
4. Our intermediate church bodies could use a Year for Youth to help them along in this process of conversion.
5. Spiritual leaders in the Church need to be formed in this new approach to youth formation, inclusion and leadership
6. The place of women in leadership: is it currently allowing women to make their fullest possible contribution of service as members of the body?
7. Multiculturalism, diversity in the church
8. Regional Youth Days with international participation
English Group D
Moderator
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Relator
His Excellency, Robert Emmet Barron
It has been a great joy to participate in the lively and illuminating conversations of English group “D,” and it is a privilege to convey to the Synod the fruit of our reflections on the third major part of the IL.
We feel that it would be wise once again to reference the narrative of the disciples on the road to Emmaus as we commence the final section. Having walked with friends and having taught them, Jesus breaks open the bread and then, as Balthasar beautifully put it, “disappears into the mission of the Church.” With all of their gifts, energy, and enthusiasm, young people today are sent to bear Christ to the world, to be, in the words of Teresa of Avila, the Lord’s hands, feet, eyes, and ears. They go as envoys of the crucified and risen Messiah and hence as bearers of a message of self-emptying love.
A second and related theme that deeply interested our group is the call to holiness. Both on the Synod floor and in our conversations, it became eminently clear that young people crave holiness of life and desire practical training that will help them walk the path of sanctity. In this regard, we felt that a section on the virtues would be useful addition to our document. The classical virtues, both cardinal and theological, should be taught and the habits that inculcate them should be encouraged. This is a theme close to the heart of Pope Francis, for he develops it at some length in chapter seven of Amoris Laetitia. The Holy Father also specifies, in that same chapter, that the family is the privileged place where this fundamental training in holiness occurs. We believe that this motif should be developed in our document as well. Finally, we hold that young people ought, in an intentional manner, to be given instruction in prayer, the meditative reading of Scripture, and the active participation in the sacraments.
A third theme follows directly upon this, for holiness, as Vatican II so clearly taught, shows up in the world; it manifests itself in a commitment to sanctify the secular arena. Young people especially ought to hear the summons to become great Catholic lawyers, great Catholic physicians, great Catholic journalists, great Catholic business leaders, etc. They should be encouraged to stand against corrupt and oppressive governments, to address the societal dysfunction that compels many to migrate from their native countries, to oppose ideological colonization, to find the paths of peace, to foster business practices that empower and lift up the poor. None of this should be seen as a burden, but as a call to spiritual adventure.
Fourthly, the issue of the liturgy found a good deal of resonance with our group. On the one hand, we acknowledge that for many young people, in various parts of the world, the liturgy can seem tedious and distant from life. In some cultural contexts, this has led the young to abandon the Catholic Church and to embrace the livelier worship offered in the Pentecostal churches. On the other hand, many younger Catholics witness to the extraordinary power of the liturgy to draw them into a sense of the transcendent. We strongly affirm those sections of the IL that reference Taize prayer, devotional practices, and music both classical and contemporary that brings people to God and evangelizes them. Some in our group insisted that we have to improve our catechesis in regard to liturgy, teaching young people what the Mass is and how precisely to participate in it. Others said that we have, perhaps, put too strong a stress on the horizontal dimension of the liturgy at the expense of the vertical. The result is that many youths appreciate the Mass as a sort of religiously-themed jamboree and not an encounter with the living God.
Fifthly, we feel that the section of the digital media as a means of evangelization ought to be particularly emphasized and expanded upon. In most of the Western countries, the fastest-growing religious group are the “nones,” that is to say, those who claim no religious affiliation. In the United States, fully 25 percent self-identify in this way, and among those under the age of thirty, the percentage rises to 40. For armies of our young people, Jesus is a fictional figure from an ancient myth, God is a superstitious holdover from a pre-scientific time, and religion simply a source of conflict and violence. Most of the “nones” are, at best, indifferent to the faith and at worst hostile to it. But by a kind of miracle of divine providence, we have, through the social media, a tool to reach these young unaffiliated who would never darken the doors of our churches or participate in any of our catechetical or spiritual programs. A video posted on YouTube or Facebook is permanently available 24 hours a day, seven days a week—and it can find its way into the most remote and even hostile corners of the contemporary world. We feel that a particularly fruitful method is to create materials that identify semina verbi (seeds of the Word) within both the popular and the high culture. It would be wise for bishops to equip both clergy and laity to engage the social media world for evangelical purposes. Especially young people, who have digital skills in their blood and their fingers, ought to be lifted up for this ministry.
A sixth motif that garnered our attention is that of the practical instantiation of the work of this Synod. Fully realizing that the resources of the Church, both financial and personal, are limited, we feel that local bishops’ conferences and bishops of dioceses ought to prioritize the evangelization and empowerment of young people. In some parts of the world, this might mean that the catechesis of the young is paramount, while in other parts of the world, it might translate into the providing of economic opportunities. It would be wise, we think, to sponsor local Synods for youth in various dioceses, regions, or nations. In any case, we simply cannot allow our work these last weeks to remain an abstraction.
Finally, we spent a good deal of time reflecting on the motif of the Church’s stance of welcome and inclusivity. We fully and enthusiastically acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ reaches out in love to absolutely everyone. Like the Lord on the road to Emmaus, faithful disciples of Jesus accompany even with those who are walking the wrong way. The arms of the Bernini colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, beckoning to the whole world, beautifully symbolize this desire to gather everyone in. This is why no one, on account of gender, lifestyle, or sexual orientation, should ever be made to feel unloved, uncared for. However, as St. Thomas Aquinas specifies, love means “willing the good of the other.” And this is why authentic love by no means excludes the call to conversion, to change of life. Indeed, in St. Mark’s Gospel, practically the first word out of the mouth of Jesus is metanoiete (convert, turn your life around). Jesus finds people where they are, but he never leaves them where they are; rather, he calls them into the deep, into fullness of friendship with him. Part of the pastoral genius of Catholicism is precisely the maintaining of this delicate balance between welcome and challenge.
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