By Fr Soroj Mullick, SDB –
The principal motive behind a new Youth Pastoral Plan (YPP) lies in an essential precedence: the integral education of the young people to the Gospel of love and service, the human and spiritual formation through acceptance, accompaniment of the young by listening to them, inculturation and the inter-religious dialogue for peace and harmony through an well-organized Youth Movement (YM).
The FABC document states: “Only by listening with the heart and through dialogue can we enter into their minds and their many questions. We accompany our youth in their doubts and disillusion, apathy and indifference, towards hope and meaning in life.” The motivations arise from the problems connected to the YM and the need of an abled methodology that can educate the young people to faith and life.
Pope Francis at the World Youth Day, Panama 2019, addressed the Youth as “the now of God”, and asked them to “keep walking, keep living the faith and sharing it.” Young people are asked to live their faith and life according to Gospel values; become the voice of the marginalized, take part in politics; take positive part inn social media through networking.
Making the Synod on Youth (2018) an experiential event based on Jesus’ journey accompanying the Emmaus disciples – a symbolic narrative of the Church accompanying the young people in their life’s journey (YS 5) by listening with empathy – the Young people need to be heard by the Church, pastors and qualified laypersons (YS 6-9) within the changing contexts and pluralistic cultures.
Often, the youth are victims of exclusion, marginalization, cultural colonization (YS 10-14) and migration (YS 25-28). In such context, the Church’s involvement in education, Youth ministry, administration, parish ministry, Christian life and formation are of major concern (YS 15-20) within the present digital environment (YS 21-24) and all types of abuse, seeking its solution by going to the root and seeking forgiveness (YS 29-31).
Additionally, the family is a privileged point of reference for formation, unity, friendship and relationships (YS 32-36), growing and maturing in affectivity (YS 37-39) and in moral consciousness, however vulnerable they are (YS 40-44). Today’s youth want to be socially engaged, and are interested in art, music and sport (YS 45-47) but they need to grow in spirituality and religiosity (YS 48-51) within the different religious contexts and encounter Jesus through sacramental participation – a living liturgy. Through active involvement, the young men and women can get in close union with the ecclesial community (YS 52-57).
Today the Indian Church institutionally also organizes an office for the YM; its relevance lies in taking up the Synod on Youth as an opportune moment for a critical passage, from an informal phase less structured with a dominant presence of some associations and groups, to a phase of full accession of pastoral responsibility towards the young people through empowerment and accompaniment.
In this way, the youth will experience the Church as a community marked by synodality and harmony in living with the other faith communities through opportunity for relationships with family and community members who witness a Christian/(other faiths) way of life. They will hear the Gospel proclaimed in a manner adapted to their pluricultural and multireligious situations and experience initial conversion towards a harmonious living.
The Church will utilize all of its pastoral ministries in its work with youth to achieve the Synod’s proposed goals. It will enhance partnerships with parents and other laity in developing the faith life of the youth in order to achieve the Church’s synodality in communion.
In this context, the youth will have opportunities for meaningful involvement in parish life and for the development of intergenerational relationships and consider the adult Christians’ life the ‘axis’ around which they youth can revolve. Such witness and adult relationships with the youth will have deep implications on their faith development. Besides, the YM programs with positive approach to youth will pre¬pare them to unite in the midst of diversity of the youth situations, with self-respect and dignity.
In most of the dioceses there exists, or in the process of development, an organic YPP with rich elements that can enable its growth. It’s essential elements must consist of a precise educational planning in respect to the youth reality, present in the dioceses; launching or increase of diocesans organisms, of co-ordination and of sharing; comparison with the continual change of the juvenile world in the context of cultural and religious pluralism; reflection and verification of the projective lines with their impact with the praxis. Here, we present therefore, certain criteria for YPP for the dioceses\regions, objectively directed, taking into consideration the present perspectives with the cultural presuppositions, and lead towards certain criteria, methods and practical orientations.
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].