The National Youth Conference, titled “Hope in the Lord,” brought together 598 youth leaders from across the country in Jalandhar, India, who were encouraged to live their faith responsibly in a world inclined toward worldliness.
Sister Florina José SCN
Young Catholic leaders gathered in India to reflect on Pope Francis’ call “Christ is alive! He is our hope,” taken from his apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit.
The 6th National Youth Conference was attended by 598 delegates from across India, including leaders of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM), youth delegates, moderators and priests from 81 dioceses across 14 regions.
Organized by the Indian Catholic Youth Movement and held from October 21 to 25 at Trinity College in Jalandhar, India, the conference emphasized the collective responsibility of Catholic youth in the formation of the Church.
A call to bear witness to Christ responsibly
“The conference focused on the theme of bearing witness to Christ, which is an important point of the strategic plan of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India,” Father Chetan Machado, executive secretary of the National Youth Commission, told Vatican News. . “Each person is called to play their role in introducing others to Jesus.” In a world plagued by chaos and violence, the Church calls on young people to “take the gospel beyond questions of spirituality and faith, into the sphere of social reform.”
Instead of being influenced by media stories, it is important to critically evaluate information, speak out against injustice, and join non-Christians in study groups on the major encyclicals written by Pope Francis.
The crisis in Manipur was highlighted, helping participants recognize the urgent need to raise a collective voice to address such issues. In their discussions, there was a strong call to the Church in India to unite for the reconstruction of Manipur and areas facing similar situations.
Challenges
The conference highlighted the diverse but interconnected challenges facing young people. An important issue raised at the conference was the pressure of social media, which often creates an imbalance between the virtual and real world and leads young people to adopt a superficial approach to life.
Another challenge identified was the lack of relevant religious training for young Catholics, allowing outside influences to influence their faith. Amid growing religious tensions, there is a struggle to openly witness to Christ in the mundane world. On the other hand, young people often feel judged by the Catholic community.
Other challenges considered were mental health issues, unemployment, delays in finding a life partner and caring for elderly parents. The negative impact of broken families, parenting problems and generation gaps was also highlighted.
the way forward
To address these challenges, the conference proposed several key recommendations:
– Promote better coordination between Church leaders, parish communities and young people.
– Renew the importance of the Eucharist and promote an active attitude of prayer and contemplation in action.
– Create platforms for open dialogue, allowing young people to express their hopes and fears, understand their challenges and seek guidance.
– Strengthen faith formation to keep young people stable in the midst of external influences.
– Provide mentoring opportunities and shared experiences to address declining motivation among young people and provide strong external support.
– Prioritize missionary formation, providing short-term community life experiences to strengthen vocations.
-Promote inclusion, ensuring that the apostolate reaches not only the elite, but also marginalized youth, including those who remain distant from traditional church activities.
– Encourage sustainable living practices, instill a love of creation and implement sustainable practices.
Participants noted that youth apostolate should shift from being event-oriented to focusing on formation and training, fostering servant leadership that prioritizes service over recognition.
Indian Catholic Youth Movement
Established in 1999, the Youth Conference operates under the auspices of the CCBI Youth Commission, whose mission is to accelerate the holistic development of youth in all Latin Rite parishes across India.
