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.