Card Gracias wants to meet young people in ‘the flesh and in the wounds and bruises you live with’
The archdiocese of Bombay (Mumbai) will hold a meeting with young people on 7 October, inspired by the Synod of Bishops currently underway in the Vatican. About 800 young people are expected from various parishes. The event will allow the Church “to be a young and vibrant” like during the time of “early Christians in the Acts of the Apostles.”
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Inspired by the Synod on young people, currently underway at the Vatican, the Archdiocese of Mumbai has organised a similar event for next Sunday, 7 October. The initiative was a proposal made by the diocesan Youth Centre in Bandra in cooperation with St Andrew’s College.
Presenting the event, Card Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), addressed the new generations: "We want to encounter you in the flesh and in the wounds and bruises you live with.”
Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Magi Murzello, rector at St Andrew’s, said that he came up with the title of the event, Synodgy, a portmanteau word created from synod and synergy, a Greek word. The term refers to the Synod and young people working together with energy.
Some 800 young people from various Mumbai parishes are expected next Sunday. The meeting will start with a Via Crucis to honour Our Lady. In all, a thousand people should show up.
"Everyone will receive a rosary bracelet,” Fr Magi said. “We will then invite young people to recite some rosaries a day, at least for the duration of the Synod ".
To publicise the initiative and encourage students to participate, Card Gracias released a message on 22 September.
Reiterating the commitment of Catholic bishops to enter into communion with young people, listening to them and accompanying them, the cardinal said that “we know there cannot be a mere textbook approach. We want to encounter you in the flesh and in the wounds and bruises you live with".
Citing the pre-synodal meeting of last March, which was attended by some 300 young people from all over the world, the prelate added that "Pope Francis was there in person listening to all, willing to accompany young people without judgement. This is a dialogue of encounter like the many encounters Jesus had with persons in the flesh of his day.”
The Instrumentum Laboris, the working document of the Synod, “will help Mother Church to be a Church searching for ways to reach out knowing that we are vivified by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. This is going to be the springboard for the Church to be a young and vibrant Church once again, like we hear of the early Christians in the Acts of the Apostles. “
"Someone said the early Christians were Christians of the best edition. But not they alone, each of you, young people will bring the Church alive as you opt to be Disciples of Jesus and witness to Him by your way of life which is the only Gospel some people ever see.”
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