FRANCIS' FIVE - #5

FIVE YEARS OF POPE FRANCIS 

March 13, 2013 - the day Pope Francis took on the divine mandate of leading the People of God. It has been five years and there are FIVE strong orientations that this wonderful person of God has given the Church and the world. 

5. YOUTH - the lifeline of the Church 

Youth are the point of attraction for the Holy Father. He refuses to believe the theory of the world today: that youth feel the Church is irrelevant; and he says he cannot believe it because a million young voices keep shouting to him something different - that they need God, that the need real faith experiences, that they need relevant spirituality, that they need to make a difference in their world! 

Pope Francis has become a friend of the young! He speaks their language, he likes what they like and he admires what they enjoy and he believes in their capacity to build an all new world, a transformed Church and a passion filled humanity! Not just himself, he has challenged the rest of the Church to change their mentality, shirk their prejudices and listen to the young. 

The present preparation towards the Synod of the Young - he prefers to call it not 'Synod for or about the Young' but 'Synod OF the young'. He has invited the youth to speak out their minds; say things without fear and challenge the Church towards transformation. The extensive survey that has been done among the young, the various meetings that he has had with groups of them, and the Presynodal Meeting that he is planning to have with over 300 youth from various parts of the world on 19th March, 2018 are just a few highlights of the importance that he gives to the youth and their participation in the Church. 

The Papal Stations of the Cross, which is celebrated every Palm Sunday at the Colosseum, this is year is being written by the youth! A simple message that the Holy Father is giving them in this - that he wants their voice be heard by the Church! That does not mean he does not challenge them: he says, enough of burying yourself in the fake identities of your social network, stand and speak up. He has time and again instructed them : do not be afraid to love, do not be afraid to commit yourself, do not be afraid to serve! The Church is in need of courageous youngsters. 

Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment - is a project that he has given the young, calling their attention to their life of faith and their call to live their life to the full and play their role to the utmost. He incites them to create a chaos where they are, so that something new and fresh, alive and attractive can be born. He invites the youth, as he writes to the Canadian Youth: "flood the places where you live with the joy and enthusiasm typical of your youthful age, to irrigate the world and history with the joy that comes from the Gospel, from having met a person: Jesus, who has enthralled you and has drawn you to be with Him."

Certainly the Holy Father does not consider this merely his special charism to relate to the Young, but wants the entire Church to trust in the Youth, to respect them and listen to them and confide in them the responsibility of leading the Church on in this new millennium.