Nepal’s Catholic youth want to work for social justice
(April 26, 2010) Young Catholics in Nepal say a one-day program on vocations has
inspired them to put their faith into action by working for peace and social justice.
60 youths from three parishes in Kathmandu attended a program on vocations and the
Church’s social teaching on Saturday at the Assumption Church hall. The International
Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) of Nepal organized the event in view of the World
Day of Prayer for Vocations on Sunday. Merina Karki a 15-year-old participant said
young people should not limit themselves to verbal prayers but must put their prayers
into action. “As socially aware youths, we should … be agents of change in this country,”
she told UCA News. Another participant Josh Niraula, a lay leader and parishioner
of Assumption Church, wished Nepal’s parliamentarians knew about the Catholic social
teaching so that they could come up with a good national constitution. Nepal’s lawmakers
have until May 28 to complete a new constitution. Christian and political leaders
have demanded that it guarantee that the country remains secular after parliament
in 2006 approved measures that converted the country, until then the world’s only
Hindu nation, into a secular state. However, there have been increasing calls for
Nepal to become a Hindu state again.