United Nations holds meeting with young people

The United Nations in New York tomorrow begins a two-day meeting with young people under the theme “Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.” The meeting is part of the programme celebrating the International Year of Youth. Several Catholic youth organizations will also be participating.

“Everybody wants to get a share of the young people on their side,” said Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations. “The reason why the young people are becoming the main protagonists of the dialogue is because they don’t want to have a young generation in disconnect with the present world and the future.”

However, Archbishop Chullikatt said the meeting at the United Nations is missing something which is often found at the Church’s World Youth Days.

“They are not focusing very much on the real values that the young people must have,” he told Vatican. “They need to be told what are the values, the real values, they should be standing for. And what are the real values they should be using as a compass for their future.”

Listen to the full interview by Victoria Somogyi with Archbishop Francis Chullikatt: