By Fr Soroj Mullick, SDB –
Following the recently discussed need-based orientations given by the Synod on Youth, the specific objective for India is the maturation of youth in faith to the point of being ‘witness’ of the universal love, harmony and peace of Christ (GS 19, 20), according to the proposal of the Gospel and with radical root into one’s own culture.
These can be realized by putting the Good News in action with accurate analysis and judgment, ethical and religious values, and motivated interest in evangelizing life. In the context of the religious and cultural pluralism of India, this comes about through inculturation, integration of faith-life and the inter-religious and inter-culture dialogue, harmony and peace. Thus, the youth are led to be conscious and to engage themselves with the conviction that they are called to build the future of the human society.
Being minority in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country means ‘fighting’ continually in order to affirm the identity as citizens and as Christians as equal to the Hindus and Muslims and other religious groups. Without a profound engagement of inter-religious dialogue, peace and harmony, the violence against the Christians will increase.
It will be encouraging to see the Christian youth always in a peaceful co-habitation with other young people, majority of who are forbearing and hospitable through reciprocal dialogue and friendship. For the recognition of a better role of the Christians, the young people have the duty to incarnate the evangelical values through identification with the poor, tolerance, justice for the repressed and the human dignity of the underprivileged. In this way, they could give witness to their faith in a society that lives with contradictory and inadequate values.
Lastly, these following three constants are important for the youth animators who wish to improve the quality of the YM: listening to young people not just as a formative act, but as a basic attitude of educators and youth ‘accompaniers’ (YS 101-103); relationships as the key to a truly missionary YM, one that is capable of going beyond the limits of its own structures (YS 128-130; also 32-36;); building synergy to move from the desire to network to a real pastoral convergence on the unity of the person through vocational discernment and a mission-oriented youth spirituality.
Additionally, stress is to be given, especially for those interested in pastoral work, on the necessity of allowing themselves to be formed by personally being challenged by young people who are very demanding with regard to adults, and sensitive to the least sign of incoherence and falsity. For this reason, Church leaders and youth animators must be ready to question themselves every day, ever ready for personal and pastoral conversion.
We can, therefore, formulate the above numerous needful urgencies into the following objectives:
- To accompany the youth in all dimensions of their daily life and social commitments: personal, relational, economic, spiritual and educational, enabling them to discover their vocation and mission, through nurturing of faith and vocational discernment. (schools, universities or civil and ecclesial institutions to contribute to young people’s formation in vocational discernment.)
- To acknowledge and accept young people as agents in the Church, which in turn acts as a ‘responsible community’ offering them space and to utilize available and adaptable resources that help deepen their journey: social media, art, music, sports, literature, drama, etc.
- To give priority to formation in youth ministry (YS 157-162) at all levels, in order to promote growth in the passion for education and evangelisation, and co-responsibility in the educational mission.
- To animate so that the Diocese/Provinces/Regions may promote, in a more systematic way, a youth ministry that is missionary and vocational so that the young people may meet Jesus in the experiences of life, and respond to God’s project.
- To motivate the Diocese/Provinces/Regions to give courageous response to the educative needs of the poorest young people and to render our educational environments places for the promotion of the integral development of the person, and for evangelisation through dialogue and solidarity in view of a society that is more humane, harmonious, just and peaceful.
- To accompany the Diocese/Provinces/Regions so that the educating parish/local communities may have a holistic vision of the Youth Ministry in order to be able to respond to the current challenges of education, employment, migration and empowerment of youth.
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].