By Josh Low
Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) Perth Director, Anita Parker has said she could not have stressed more the importance of the role young people play in being an active voice in and for the Church today, after the release of Pope Francis’ Letter to Young People last month.
The letter was released on 13 January in preparation for the Synod of Bishops over the topic of ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’ scheduled for later this year.
In his letter, the Holy Father placed great emphasis in calling out to young people to be active voices in the Church and to be willing to take risks in following the footsteps of Christ.
“Jesus looks at you and invites you to go with him. Dear young people, have you noticed this look towards you? Have you heard this voice? Have you felt this urge to undertake this journey?
“Even when the journey is uncertain and you fall, God, rich in mercy, will extend his hand to pick you up,” he said.
Pope Francis also wrote of challenging young people to leave comfort, security and ease of the secular world to “set out on new and uncharted paths” on the journey with Jesus, over the course of last year’s World Youth Day (WYD) week in Krakow.
“In Krakow, at the opening of the last WYD, I asked you several times: ‘Can we change things?’ And you shouted: ‘yes!’
“That shout came from your young and youthful hearts, which do not tolerate injustice and cannot bow down to a ‘throw-away culture’ or give in to the globalisation of indifference.
“Make your voice heard, let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls,” he said.
Ms Parker said it is crucial for young people especially in our Archdiocese, to know that their voices matter.
“The youth from Perth should know that the Holy Father is prompting this journey for all young people.
“He knows that they have a unique voice to share in the Church and the Synod will be a great opportunity to hear from young people about the Church and our world today,” she said.
Ms Parker believes that the Catholic youth of today are such an important factor in spreading the joy of the Gospel.
“Young people today are capable of thinking of new ways to go out and bear the Good News.
“Christ’s love is such an important gift for young people to embrace for helping with life’s everyday challenges, and young people are called to share this gift with each other.
“Therefore it is so important for them to be witnesses of Christ’s love both in person and through social media,” she said.
With the upcoming ‘Year of Youth’ in Australia at the end of the year, Ms Parker also said that the questions to be released from Rome this year as part of preparation documents for the Synod will be of great benefit.
“It will be a great opportunity for us locally to seek the voice of young people and assist in the preparations for the ‘Year of Youth’ commencing in December 2017.
“Part of the focus for both the Synod and the ‘Year of Youth’ are: Young people, faith and vocational discernment.
“So often the deep questions around faith and vocational discernment are sidelined in our culture. It will be a great opportunity to dialogue in a new way with young people about their search for God in their lives and also for God’s vocational calling in their lives,” she said.