The synod of bishops to youth sees the need for reform in the church

Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) In committing to greater openness of the laity, the Synod of World Bishops on Youth, meeting in the Vatican since October 3, has ended. To be credible, a church reform is needed, said the 270 or so participating bishops in their final document adopted Saturday night. 50 years after Vatican Council II, the prophetic image of a synodal church has still not been realized. The article of 167 out of 55 printed pages, which was originally published only in Italian, describes the situation of youth in the world, evaluates it from a Christian perspective and offers perspectives for action of the church. The synodal nature of the church is also emphasized.

The Synod Fathers vote individually on the 167 articles. All reached at least the two-thirds majority required to be included in the final document. In addition to the bishops of almost every country in the world – including Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and the Austrian Austrian Bishop of Austrian Youth Stephan Turnovszky – nearly 50 non-religious participated as so-called hearers at the Synod under the title "Discrimination of young people, beliefs and vocations" among them 36 young Catholics under 30 years old. They participated in the debates but were not allowed to vote on the final document.

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The experience of their collaboration with young Christians is what bishops call "fruit of the Holy Spirit" in their closing letter. The Catholic Church must offer more participation and responsibility also to lay people, especially young people and women. The bishops oppose a "clericalism excluding many decision-making processes" and a "clericalization of the laity".

Leaving teens in charge in the church is not an "additional option". In youth criticism, church leaders must also hear a call from God to repent and renew structures.

The bishops note that a large proportion of young people no longer consider the church as a serious interlocutor. The reasons they make abuses and financial scandals, but also the inability of church leaders to respond to young people. In a self-critical way, church leaders also complain of not making their own teaching plausible. In part, the commitment of young Christians to the authority and mistrust on the part of officials who did not want to lead.

Catholic badual morality was for many young people a reason for the suppression of the church. In today's cultural environment, the church struggles to communicate its vision of physicality and baduality. For pastors to be credible, they must themselves have badual and emotional maturity.

Digital world, migration, abuse

The introduction of the 55-page final text indicates that the closing document and the working document ("instrumentum laboris") on which the synodal consultations were held must be read together, as there is a "continuing relationship" between both.

Subsequently, the first part of the letter opens up a broad thematic area related to the realities of young people's lives: gender equality, youth work in parishes, forms of economic and social exclusion, secularization, religious education and to the priests.

Three special "hinges" are mentioned in detail, as noted by Vatican Portal "Vatican News" in a first badysis: On the one hand, the digital world is becoming more and more formative with its positive and negative sides. Second, the situation of migrants and refugees is discussed. This is u.a. emphasizes that the phenomenon of migration is "a structural problem globally" and not just a "temporary emergency". Three articles also deal with abuse. The various forms of abuse are named, emphasizing the need to claim compensation from the root. He needs "rigorous means of prevention", the text says. Thank you, the bishops pronounce those who have had and have the courage to name and expose the abuses.

Accompany young people

The second main part essentially concerns the different dimensions of the vocation, "starting with the realization that, in a pluralistic world full of options and paths of life full of breaks, vocations are difficult to live and maintain. ", summarizes Vatican News.

"The Synod recognizes the need to promote integral accompaniment in which spirituality is well integrated with human and social aspects," notes the study, highlighting the need to accompany young people in their life path, often referred to at the Synod. through the church.

"With boys, not for them"

The third part of the final document on the prospects for action of the Church begins with affirming to bishops to consider young people as a priority of the action of the Church. Time and energy should be spent on the same path "with young people, not just for them".

Implementation is essential in local churches. According to "Vatican News", these pbadages in the final document place great emphasis on the "synodal process" and on the fact that synodality characterizes the church itself as well as its proclamation. The synod does not end with the closing Mbad in Rome, say the synod participants. They foresee an important "implementation phase" in the local Churches of the world in the months and years to come and present the final document in the form of a "map guiding the next steps to which they will come". Church is called ".

Seven "urgent challenges"

Seven areas are called "urgent challenges". Migration is part of the "destruction of walls and bridge construction". Similarly, the digital environment, described as "a great opportunity for dialogue, meeting and exchange between people, as well as access to information and knowledge", presents also a dark side with "loneliness, manipulation, exploitation and violence". The bishops also expressly warned against the consequences of spreading "false information", which "has produced a culture in which the truth seems to have lost its power".

Women's participation in church governance is a "case of justice," said third. The presence of women in ecclesial bodies "at all levels, including in leadership roles" and the participation of women in decision-making while respecting the role of the ordained ministry are of particular importance.

Fourth, there are clear and open words in the field of baduality; At the same time, the church must clearly oppose any discrimination and badual violence. Homobaduals should be helped to live their baptismal vocation in "freedom and responsibility".

The fifth bullet in this section is the commitment to justice and the integrity of creation; This must also be reflected in the direction and organization of church life. Other topics include intercultural and interreligious dialogue and ecumenism.

Finally, the text insists on adequate education and training in all these areas. Here, the Synod makes three concrete suggestions: On the one hand, lay people, religious and priests should be trained together. Secondly, pastoral work with young people must become an integral part of the education of priests and religious. And thirdly, the dimension of experience should be firmly anchored in the rules of formation of priests.

Own letter to the youth

On Sunday, Pope Francis closes the episcopal meeting with a solemn Mbad in St. Peter's Basilica. On this occasion, the Synod Fathers want to address their own letter to young people around the world.

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