Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Popular News

HomeNewsVaticanYouth Synod: One Youth Officer's hopes

Youth Synod: One Youth Officer’s hopes

The Bishops of the world are gathering in the Vatican for a Synod that will put the spotlight firmly on young people. Over the course of October, the Church will aim to support young Catholics in their faith, and discuss issues that concern them, so that they can be the standard bearers for a new generation. In March of this year, young people from around the globe met in the Vatican for a Pre-Synodal meeting. One of the participants was Sean Deighan, a Youth Officer from the Archdiocese of Glasgow in Scotland.

Idealism of young people

He says, that Church needs to tap into the idealism of young people and present the faith to them in a way that is worth attaining. “I think the finding of the documents shouldn’t read so much as a manifesto of an NGO but, rather unapologetically proclaims the truth of the faith and of the Church in a way that is doctrinally… sound.”

So, is this a good time for the Church to be holding a Synod on Youth? The Youth Officer believes it is, especially, he says, at a time when “many young people are leaving the Church for all the wrong reasons”. I think it’s a very important time re-evaluate how the Gospel is preached to young people in a way that they can understand, so that the outcome would be that less people would leave the Church…”

Crisis of Sexual Abuse

In recent times the Church has been engulfed by the crisis of clerical sexual abuse. The Secretary General of the meeting, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, has stressed that the Synod will not shy away from the issue, but will use the gathering as a platform for exchange. Sean himself says, that the scandal has obviously damaged the Church’s image, but despite that he adds, this generation of young people is resilient. “The faith of young people is still very strong although obviously they are very, as am I, sorrowful and saddened to hear of the recent abuse cases”.

Sean points out, that young people appreciate when the Church is bold and courageous, and says that this Synod offers it a real chance to authentically proclaim the truth

Popular News

Pope Leo thanks residents at Home for the Elderly for their witness of faith

Pope Leo XIV visits residents and religious sisters at the “Santa Marta” home for...

Pope calls Patriarch Pizzaballa to express closeness after Gaza parish attack

Pope Leo XIV has called Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem...

Pope Leo XIV: Seek grace to pursue path of unity and fraternal charity

At Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV received Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Latin Catholic...

A plea for peace from Taybeh

Following weeks of settler attacks on the last entirely Christian village in Palestine, the...