Hope, young Thais’ only path
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Hope “is the only path for young Thais who want to avoid society’s social and ethical decline. For this reason Benedict XVI’s second encyclical is so important for us. It puts in first place the idea that only through hope we can be saved,” Pattra Chol-wat told AsiaNews. The 32-year-old woman is one of the youth programme organisers for the Catholic Commission for Youth of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand. She works closely with youth from various walks of life, often with youth with difficult backgrounds.
Everyone in the country “is aware that our society is declining in terms of ethics and morality. Often we see and are witness to bad actions that turn into evil examples for young people. For this reason it is natural to ask oneself whether there is something good left in people. My answer is yes, but it is rarely reported” in the media, she said.
Given the conflicts and violence that affect the world, “it becomes spontaneous to remember that encouragement and hope are necessary. We must push one another to remember that there is still something good in the world. We must start with ourselves, bring love and hope to those who do not have them. For this reason Benedict XVI’s second encyclical is so important to us. It puts in first place the idea that only through hope we can be saved.”
Based on this assumption, Pattra Chol-wat noted that “the Youth Commission organises different types of summer camps to give young people a positive example to follow during their education. From May to October when schools are out the Young Catholics Club organises camping trips which include visits to homes for the elderly, a hospice for people with AIDS run by the Camillian Social Centre and orphanages managed by the Redemptorists as well as other social centres.”
As Catholics she said “we know that the example to follow is Jesus. He lived as a man so as to be close to us and died for our salvation. True hope for us, the true way to face the grave crises that afflict the world, is Christ. We must place him at the centre of our lives and follow his example.”
Catholics are not the only ones who can do this. “We welcome young people whatever path they take. There are indeed Muslims, Buddhists and Protestants among us. There are many people who are looking for understanding and love and for this we must always stress that life is the greatest gift of all. Life drives us to give with enthusiasm. No matter what our faith is, what counts is putting into practice what it teaches . . . and continue hoping.”
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