God sees the distress of his people and hears their cry; deeply moved, he comes down to deliver them (cf. He added, though, that we are free to respond to it or to reject it (cf. Lk 2:41-52), subject to his parents but able to detach himself from them so as to concern himself with his Fathers affairs, can shed valuable light on how to interpret family relationships from a Gospel perspective. 3. 110. The recent Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium on ecclesiastical faculties and universities put forward some fundamental criteria for formation capable of addressing the challenges of the present day:spiritual, intellectual and existential contemplation of the kerygma, holistic dialogue, multi-disciplinary work carried out with wisdom and creativity and the urgent need for networking (cf. The gift of consecrated life, both contemplative and apostolic, which the Spirit calls forth in the Church, has a particular prophetic value inasmuch as it is a joyful witness of the gratuitousness of love. Among all the biblical figures who illustrate the mystery of vocation, we should contemplate in a particular way the figure of Mary. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. In a more general sense, discernment means the process by which important decisions are taken; in a second sense, more typical of the Christian tradition and more relevant for our purposes, it corresponds to the spiritual dynamic by which a person, a group or a community seek to recognize and to follow the will of God in their particular situation: test everything; hold fast to what is good (1 Thess 5:21).In so far as it involves seeking to recognize the Spirits voice and accept the Spirits call, discernment is an essential dimension of Jesus manner of life, a fundamental attitude rather than a particular action. 123. In the third place, formation must focus on developing in future pastors and consecrated men and women their ability to carry out their role as guides in an authoritative, but not authoritarian way, educating young candidates to give themselves for the community. In the context of a Church that looks outwards, though, a creative and flexible renewal of these realities is needed, moving away from the idea of static centres, to which the young can come, towards the idea of pastoral subjects moving with and towards the young, capable, that is, of meeting them in their ordinary places of life school and the digital environment, existential peripheries, the rural world, the world of work, musical and artistic expression, etc. From the start of the journey of preparation, young people have expressed the desire to be involved and appreciated and to feel themselves as having a key role in the life and mission of the Church. All too often, there is a tendency to provide pre-packaged answers and ready-made solutions, without allowing young peoples real questions to emerge and to face the challenges they pose. It is worth noting, finally, that among the characteristics of our being Church that the young particularly appreciate are a readiness and a capacity for working collaboratively: in this way the formation of the young can be more significant, effective and incisive. 116. At the same time, the accompanier provides us with an essential element of accountability, becoming a mediator of the maternal presence of the Church. The synodal life of the Church is essentially oriented towards mission: it is the sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of unity for the whole human race (Lumen Gentium, 1), until the day when God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:28). The resources of the Catholic Church are a vital element in the fight against human trafficking, as is clearly seen in the work of many religious sisters. In this way, gently but firmly, the Lord enters their dwelling, he stays with them and he shares the bread of life: it is the Eucharistic sign that permits the two disciples finally to open their eyes. The Synod also appreciates and encourages the sincere commitment of countless lay men and women, priests, consecrated men and women, and bishops who devote themselves every day with honesty and dedication to the service of the young. Many of those who spoke pointed to the shortage of qualified people devoted to accompaniment. In committing themselves to this, very often the young deepen the roots of their own faith and experience a real opening towards what others can give. 95. 4. Alongside some who are indifferent, there are many others who are ready to commit themselves to initiatives of voluntary work, active citizenship and social solidarity, and they need to be accompanied and encouraged, so as to bring out their talents, skills and creativity and to provide incentives for them to assume responsibility. Then, with affection and power, he proclaims the word to them, leading them to interpret the events they have experienced in the light of the Scriptures. Various spiritual traditions point out the value of fraternal life and service to the poor as a test for decisions that have been taken and as a setting in which the person fully reveals himself. 111. With their freshness and their faith, young people help to show this face of the Church, in which we see a reflection of the great Living One, the Christ who is eternally young. The Second Vatican Council and the subsequent Magisterium offer valuable indications for developing a correct theology of charisms and ministries in the Church, in such a way as to receive with recognition and to value with wisdom the gifts of grace that the Spirit continually calls forth in the Church to rejuvenate her. The young also clamour for greater recognition and greater valuing of women in society and in the Church. 160. 89. Recognizing and reacting to all types of abuse, Establishing the truth and asking for forgiveness. North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod. Whereas in other places, Catholics along with other Christian denominations form a minority that sometimes experiences discrimination or even persecution. The desire for life in love and the healthy restlessness that is found in the hearts of young people form part of the great longing of all creation for the fullness of joy. The experience of walking together as the People of God helps us to understand more and more deeply the sense of authority as service. When young people are admitted to houses of formation or seminaries, it is important to establish whether they are sufficiently rooted in a community, and whether they show stability in relations of friendship with peers, in commitment to study or work, and in contact with poverty and suffering. 156. This is the only way to arrive at an authentic and lasting happiness! In this way the young will be able to discover their talents and put them at the disposal of society for the good of all. In other places Christian communities, and young people who belong to them, suffer persecution. 1. Accompaniment during formation for the ordained ministry and consecrated life. Many pages in the Gospel portray Jesus inviting us to be daring, to put out into the deep, to pass from the logic of following commandments to that of generous and unconditional gift, without concealing the requirement to take up ones cross (cf. Mk 9:14-29), which evokes so many of the forms of alienation experienced by young people today, it seems clear that Jesus stretches out his hand not to take away freedom but to activate it, to liberate it. The make-up of the Synod itself brought out the presence and contribution of many different regions of the world, and highlighted the beauty of our being a universal Church. Catechetical courses need to illustrate the intimate connection of faith with the concrete experience of every day, with the world of sentiments and attachments, with the joys and disappointments that we meet in study and in work; they should include the Churchs social teaching; they should be open to the languages of beauty, music and different artistic expressions, and to the forms of digital communication. It is a question of absorbing all these elements dynamically, respecting different spiritualities and cultures, without exclusion and without confusion. 99. 106. Ignoring ecclesial norms on these matters is irresponsible behaviour, which can have serious consequences for the Christian community. Jn 20:1-18) illuminates the path that the Church seeks to follow with and for the young as a fruit of this Synod: a path of resurrection that leads to proclamation and mission. It therefore seems urgent to search for better ways, that can be translated concretely into new formation programmes. He amazed us with the wealth of his gifts and filled us with his courage and strength, to bring hope to the world. The same variety is found in the relationship of the young with the figure of Jesus. Accompaniment for the sake of valid, stable and well-founded choices, is therefore a service that is widely needed. Alongside the continuation of older phenomena, such as precocious sexual behaviour, promiscuity, sexual tourism, the exaggerated cult of the physical, today one notes the widespread diffusion of digital pornography and exhibition of the body online. The Vademecum (or handbook) was likewise published to guide the listening and discernment [] 140. The proliferation of fake news is the expression of a culture that has lost its sense of truth and bends the facts to suit particular interests.The reputation of individuals is put in jeopardy through summary trials conducted online. 12. In particular, the interplay between divine choice and human freedom needs to be thought through, prescinding from all determinism and from all extrinsecism. 154. They are thus pioneers of a new form of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, which helps to liberate our societies from exclusion, extremism, fundamentalism and also from the manipulation of religion for sectarian or populist ends. Serious discernment is helped by all those occasions when we encounter the Lord and deepen our familiarity with him, in the various forms in which he makes himself present: the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation; listening and meditating on the Word of God, Lectio Divina in the community; the fraternal experience of common life; and encounter with the poor with whom the Lord Jesus identifies. The Vatican released Tuesday a preparatory document and handbook for the 2023 synod on synodality to be reviewed by all Catholic dioceses in the world over the next six months. God created with his Word, which calls into being and into life, and then establishes distinctions within the chaos of the indistinct, imprinting on the cosmos the beauty of order and the harmony of diversity. 46. There are questions about the body, affectivity and sexuality that require deeper anthropological, theological and pastoral study, in whatever forms and at whatever level seems most appropriate, from local to universal.Among the questions that emerge are those regarding the difference and harmony between male and female identity and sexual inclinations. This leads us to believe that we belong to a group that has all the answers and no longer needs to listen or learn anything, or that pretends to listen (Francis, Address to the 1st General Congregation of the XV General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 3 October 2018). The faithful people, the college of bishops, the Bishop of Rome: all listening to each other, and all listening to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (Jn 14:17), in order to know what he says to the Churches (Rev 2:7) (Francis, Address for the Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015). The Churchs response is an appeal for conversion, for solidarity and renewed educational action, as she makes herself especially present in these situations of hardship. Given the varied backgrounds of the Synod Fathers, the theme of migrants saw many different perspectives coming together, in particular between countries of departure and countries of arrival. 82. 61. While recognizing that planning for pastoral activities is necessary, in order to avoid improvisation, on several occasions the Synod Fathers voiced their disquiet over a certain fragmentation of the Churchs pastoral approach.In particular, they spoke of the multiplicity of pastoral approaches to the young: youth ministry, family or vocational ministry, school and university chaplaincy, social, cultural, charitable, free time activities, etc. This is why it is important to establish the conditions to allow all Christian communities, building on the baptismal consciousness of their members, to develop a genuine vocational culture and a constant commitment to pray for vocations. Recently, at the suggestion of the young, initiatives have been launched which bring people of different religions and cultures to experience living alongside one another, so that in a climate of conviviality and respect for each others religions, all may actively promote a common shared commitment in society. Young men and women ask this question forcefully. Initiatives of welcome involving the Church have an important role from this perspective and they can bring new life to the communities capable of adopting them. Often the young oscillate between approaches as extreme as they are ingenuous: from considering themselves in thrall to a predetermined and inexorable destiny, to finding themselves overwhelmed by an abstract ideal of excellence, within a framework of unregulated and violent competition. In advance of a pivotal October assembly on synodality, a new Vatican document released Tuesday outlines key questions for what now promises to be a wide . The young urge the Church to be prophetic in this field, through her words but above all through choices which show that financial management can be both person-friendly and environmentally friendly. The charism of listening that the Holy Spirit calls forth within the communities might also receive institutional recognition as a form of ecclesial service. 77. Pope Francis taps Father James Martin for Synod on Synodality Yet it also remains important in daily life as a way of deepening ones relationship with the Lord. Christ, who consented to endure his passion and death, comes close, through his cross, to all suffering young people. Synod on Synodality document outlines discussion questions for October In this Synod we have experienced how co-responsibility lived with young Christians is a source of profound joy for bishops too. 165. The young are able to guide other young people and to exercise a genuine apostolate among their friends. It was emphasized that pastoral programmes should range from infancy to adulthood, to help the young find their place in the Christian community. 55. In the modern world, marked by an increasingly evident pluralism and by an ever wider range of possible options, the theme of choices arises with particular force at a variety of levels, especially in the face of life journeys that are less and less linear and marked by great precariousness. Listening on the part of pastors and qualified laypeople. 7. But the young, including those who know this teaching and live by it, express a wish to hear from the Church a clear, humane and empathetic word. The last two Synods and the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia which came out of them, repeatedly emphasized that the task of the family, as a domestic Church, is to live the joy of the Gospel in daily life and to bring all its members to do so, according to their circumstances, remaining open to the dimension of vocation and mission. Freedom always entails a dimension of risk which needs to be evaluated with courage and accompanied wisely, according to the law of graduality. The Vatican released the full list of participants on July . The young ask the Church to offer a shining example of authenticity, exemplariness, competence, co-responsibility and cultural solidity. They learn willingly from the activities they carry out, from their encounters and their relationships, putting themselves to the test in daily life. But where a mentality of delegation and bureaucracy holds sway, Christian initiation becomes nothing more than a course of religious instruction ending with the sacrament of Confirmation. There is also a need for renewed commitment to catechists, who are often young and serving other young people, virtually their contemporaries. During the Synod we recognized some common elements, which do not take away from differences of language: the presence of God in the life and the history of every person; the possibility of recognizing Gods action; the role of prayer, of sacramental life and of asceticism; continual engagement with the demands of the Word of God; freedom with regard to acquired certainties; constant evaluation in the light of everyday life; the importance of adequate accompaniment. In this way, the two essential characteristics of a pastoral approach to young generations emerge: it is for youth, because it is aimed at those in the singular and unrepeatable stage in life which is youth; it is vocational, because youth is the privileged season for life choices and for responding to Gods call. In many regions there is a widespread culture of the provisional which favours an indefinite prolongation of adolescence and postponement of decisions; fear of the definitive thus generates a kind of paralysis of decision-making. Certain practices inherited from tradition remain alive, though, such as pilgrimages to shrines, which at times involve large numbers of young people, and expressions of popular piety, often linked to devotion to Mary and the Saints, which preserve the faith experience of a people. A Church that seeks to live a synodal style cannot fail to reflect on the condition and role of women within it, and consequently in society more generally. Final Document - XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops We could describe this process by speaking of synodality for mission, or missionary synodality: Making a synodal Church a reality is an indispensable precondition for a new missionary energy that will involve the entire People of God.[1]We are dealing here with a prophecy of the Second Vatican Council, which we have yet to absorb in all its profundity and to develop in its daily implications, as Pope Francis reminds us when he says: It is precisely this path ofsynodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium (Francis, Address for the Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015).
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