Indian bishops and youths learn from each other

(March 1, 2010) Meanwhile, India’s Catholic bishops and some young people who spent three days together say the experience has helped them understand and appreciate each other. The two groups met at the Don Bosco Institute, a center for youth training in Guwahati, Assam state, during the first three days of the biennial plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). As many as 163 bishops from the country’s 164 dioceses are attending the Feb. 28-March 3 plenary that chose “Youth for Peace and Harmony” as the main theme. Each group came to the program with certain apprehensions but they all soon disappeared as bishops and youth mingled with each other, noted Father Alwyn D’Souza, secretary of the CBCI commission for youth which organized the encounter. By 2020, the average age of Indians would be 29 and the Church has to attend to their various needs, he added. Although the bishops had a separate dining area, most of them preferred to eat with the youths, he said. Each session started with bishops dancing to action songs the young people played on the dais. The highlight was the so-called “youth cafe” where youth representatives sat at tables and discussed topics. The bishops went from one table to the other listening and sharing their views.