By Soroj Mullick, SDB –
Much has happened recently in the Universal (Catholic) Church that compels to consider different approaches to Youth Movement (YM). This leads to reconsider, reformulate and renew the already existing National Youth Pastoral Plan (NYPP, 1996). The Meeting of the bishops of Asia in 1998, while centering it’s attention on inter-religious dialogue (Ecclesia in Asia, EA 47) and inculturation, did not forget the young people. In a clear and incisive vision the Bishops have entrusted to the young people with the assignment of realizing a Youth Pastoral Plan (YPP).
Continuing on the same plea, the CBCI General Assembly (2010), chose the theme of Youth in the service of Peace and Harmony during the eight-day long 29th Plenary Assembly of the CBCI in February, 2010. The objective was to have deliberations on the theme and formulate strategies for a National Catholic Youth Policy.
While dedicating time to the main theme, it focused also on the challenges and possibilities that today’s youth face in the country. The Catholic youth are no different in facing the challenges that are faced by the youth at large. The serious felt issues were: the youth demographics, education opportunities, employability and social and political consciousness. These have no ready-made solutions but certainly need to be addressed.
Again, the United Nations declared August 2010-August 2011 as the International Year of Youth to harness the talents and energy of the world’s young people urging dialogue, respect and empowerment to promote better understanding between different generations, cultures and religions. Therefore, dialogue and mutual understanding was the theme of the Year.
The goodwill, talent and idealism of the youth can ignite economy in the countries, make important contributions to eradicate poverty, contain the spread of disease, combat climate change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The United States hosted an innovative event to bring the voices of youth, who represent nearly 50 percent of the world’s population, directly to the UN Security Council. It is affirmed that youth opinions and concerns can contribute to the key decisions on global peace and security.
Therefore, the UN and its youth organization partners are determined to focus on the need to encourage dialogue and ensure that young people are included in important policies and decision-making processes. This way the youth are challenged to pursue peace and justice, and along with adults to work to achieve sustainable development, and to address the violations of human rights. So too does the Church wish for them in India!
There certainly exists huge pyramidal structure of responsible leaders for the YM at the national, diocesan and parish levels, as well as at the Religious Congregations’ regional and provincial levels. The Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) along with other church-related youth organizations, all designed and reformulated for youth renewal and to meet their needs, is conceived to bring deeper faith and commitment in the young.
Yet often, the model of comprehensive YM resulted at distancing itself from the faith education of the youth. This is so due to the lack of understanding of the goals of YM itself. What then are the goals, scope, contents and sequence of actions for the YM in the Church?
Conservative Church-adults (read hierarchical leaders) have gone through some renewed awareness of youth situations within the community, and led to reflect and study seriously on the pastoral praxis of the Church regarding the young people during the past Synod on youth, 2018.
In the last 25 years the need began to be felt to adapt a Youth Pastoral Plan (YPP) to the new socio-economic circumstances. In this way a think-tank process was begun for a renewal of an educative and pastoral practice, in view of a renewed YM. This re-thinking will help to develop an YPP which responds to the new situation of the young; re-affirm the close connection between education and evangelization. The recent Synod document on Youth has been an outcome of that, where the bishops along with other experts and representatives carried out a re-think regarding the youth pastoral work, pointing an outline for a new YM and YPP.
To be continued…
Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB is a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].