By Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB –
Not all youth are the same in all regions. At the same time it seems youth are seeking, searching, groping, yearning and pondering within the reality of emotional upheavals, peer-pressure, authority-defiance, contrasting ideologies, conflicting solutions, visual media impact, cheap literature, etc.
The sufferings of the rural youth are doubled by class-caste, discriminations, employment, crisis and despair resulting in indiscipline while urban youth are into ambitions, one-upmanship, values/ spirituality crises, bad company and drugs abuse.
But both the groups suffer from severe identity crisis. It is in this context that the youth will have to discover a meaning for their life, a sense of purpose, identity and sense belonging, coupled with the desire to conform to traditions, customs and practices.
Youth groups of various kinds have been attempting to help youngsters face the challenges and find meaning to their lives. ICYM, Jesus Youth, CCBI commission for youth, religious congregations’ youth wings, AICUF, YCS\YSM (Young Christian Students & Young Students’ Movement) and other Catholic youth groups must strongly root themselves in a close relationship with Jesus and get involved in the local socio-cultural and justice issues in an organized and collective manner.
In the above global and the local Indian contexts, an YPP that wishes to walk in the path of Synod Fathers and all the faithful – the synodal Church – it needs to analyse the situation from social, religious, environmental, communitarian and organizational perspective, to characterise the needs that emerge and the objective that it must achieve progressively at all the levels through its contents, experiences, tools and adequate means.
There is the necessity of an YPP that answers to the demands of the culture and of its history at the beginning of the third millennium marked with the telematic innovation, globalisation, interculture and inculturation of the Word of God in the midst of ethnic and communal unrest and violence; amplify the faith and the culture in order to touch deeper into the souls of the young people with the announcement of the Word of God in the context of the Indian Church; chart out projective actions than deepening systematically the arguments for inculturized YPP; revitalise and encourage the plan with an ability to study the situation in which the young people live, aiming on more important needs and facilitating the integral maturation of the youth.
With the increase of education and income, the life-style of the youth has changed. The Church in India needs to create avenues for young people to make a positive contribution to the Church and society through active citizenship, inter-cultural understanding and social solidarity, in order to ensure equitable development, justice, peace and social cohesion.
The All India Survey conducted by the AICYM on Indian catholic youth highlights some of the major concerns of the youth: poverty, migration, proper education facilities, gainful employment, social upheaval, political instability and environmental degradation. These are compounded in the context of economic globalization.
The lack of basic infrastructure, finances, technology, networking and exposure hinder the effectiveness of youth and their pastoral care. The survey results on the fact that the youth need to be encouraged: to form social forums and to participate actively in political activities; to promote forum for dialogue and cooperation among the youth-related activities and organizations within and outside the church. In the multi-religious context of the country, they are to be motivated to be channels of interreligious dialogue, of peace and harmony.
“Young people are our biggest asset and greatest hope,” says Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the CBCI first vice president. The apex body of the Catholic Church in India in the past focused on other pastoral issues and had ignored the youth. Now the Church realizes the need to involve youth who form an integral part of the collective Catholic population, and who are “highly talented, generous, committed, patient and idealistic”, in their activities. In the midst of widely infested corruption only the youth can bring probity in public life. These youth need to be helped to translate their ideals into action, participate in the Church’s activities, energize liturgies and render services.
A ‘paradigm shift’ in modern youth’s world view is noted. They are now less involved in social causes, often are silent and self-centered. They are ‘easy prey’ to consumer values and ‘a hedonistic outlook on life.’ In this crucial context the youth need to remain rooted in their Christian identity and culture, and not bring in corrosion of “their Christian perspectives on faith and morals.” Therefore, there is the need for new evangelization to help young people discover God and engage in interreligious activities, encouraging them to get involved in a dialogue of life.
Globalization, which has contributed to an economic resurgence with opportunities and possibilities, has made negative impact on the poor marginalized young people, with increased levels of poverty and unemployment; and spiritual, cultural and political unrest. The rural youth migrating to towns and cities, away from their family, face exploitive and degrading situations. Therefore, we find the young within a new situation. This too can be said in regards to their religious faith experience.
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].