Thiruvananthapuram: A meeting of young Catholics has called for forming youth-friendly parishes in India.
The Youth Commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI) ended its three-day meet highlighting the need for valuing and involving young people in all parish activities.
The October 27-29 meet at Thiruvananthapuram, capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala, urged the Church to incorporate youth into ministerial and leadership roles in the parish and the Catholic community.
The CCBI commission, formed in 1988, has invited the youth to become part of pastoral life.
The CCBI is the national body of the Latin rite bishops in India.
The conference was attended by 157 national, regional and diocesan youth secretaries and animators.
The meet addressed among others issues such as parish and its structures and the need for making youth apostolate an integral part of the parish activities. It studied the current situation of youth in parishes and devised strategies to connect youth with the parish community.
It also stressed the need to channelize Catholic youth energy for creating a just India.
The meet opened with Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, chairperson of CCBI youth commission, urging youth Catholics to adopt a positive attitude toward their life and the Church.
“Often we have a negative view of the reality,” said the prelate noting that some people question the Church’s youth ministry while another group bemoans young people going astray.
He says people often complain that the young people are not with the Church as they have become victims of media and modern trends. “Therefore, we need the damage control. This is a negative view, and the CCBI intends to move forward with a positive view,” the prelate added.
Bishop Mulakkal cited the example of eagle that flies above clouds during rain and storm and urged the youth to move beyond problems and find solutions for them. This will help both the Church and the young people, he added.
Fr. Arabind Negi, one of the participants, said the conference helped clear lots of doubts about the role youth in the Church. He said he was also excited to meet people of diverse cultural, ethnic linguistic geographical realities that enrich the Church’s youth ministry. He expressed the hope the youth animators would bring more young people to parishes and dioceses to help build the kingdom of God on earth.