Synod: accompanying the choices of young people by offering ‘higher’ goals
Some auditors highlighted the inadequacy of an ecclesial proposal centred on ethical theism against the profound thirst for the spirit among the young. The names of the three members picked by the pope were made public today; they will join the Commission tasked with drafting the final document.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – In today’s session, the Synod on Young People, focused on accompanying the choices of marriage and consecration, promoting both in order to meet the need to give young people the opportunity of looking up at higher goals.
Two traits of accompanying both marriage and celibacy for the Kingdom of God require being welcoming and showing high goals and the demanding proposal of the Gospel.
The Church must also promote the two vocations because they both fall within the broader "baptismal vocation" of each and every Christian.
The interventions of some of today’s auditors stressed such an approach, emphasising the inadequacy of an ecclesial proposal centred on an ethical theism in the face of the profound thirst for the spirit among the young.
Young people want Jesus and the Church has the duty to show him and not to consider "lost time" the work dedicated to pastoral outreach towards the new generations.
Amid the many voices, young people need to discern which one comes from the Lord, and they do not want adults to make decisions for them, but rather help them not to postpone the important choices of life.
This reflects what Card Oswald Gracias said yesterday, namely that young people “challenge us to work together, want to be accompanied by us elders, but we are more cautious. Let us tell them that they still have much to learn." At the same time, the cardinal is very confident that "a new approach to the youth apostolate in the world will be come out of this Synod".
Today the names of the three members appointed by the pope were also announced, thus completing the roster of the Commission tasked with drafting the final document.
The three are the Archbishop Major of Kyiv-Halyc Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Father Alexandre Awi Mello, secretary of the Dicastery for the laity, the family and life; and Rev Eduardo Gonzalo Redondo, head of vocational pastoral care in Cuba.
They join the other five members elected yesterday according to continent (Cardinal Gracias represents Asia).
All eight will share the work of the Commission along with the general rapporteur, two special secretaries and the general secretary.
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