WYD and the children of a missing generation

Many observers have often noted that an entire generation, if not two, are missing from Church pews in many developed nations. In a world - and among a generation - where the phrase, “I believe in God but I don’t believe in the Church”, is becoming increasingly frequent, Emer McCarthy asked Fr Eric Jacquinet - who heads up the Youth Office at the Vatican’s Council for the Laity and in charge of over seeing WYD events- what the Church is doing to reach out to the children of the ‘missing generation’.

One step is Youcat. This catechesis written by young people for young people is out in the bookshops. With a forward by the Pope, and under the direction of Cardinal Christophe Schoenborn, the guide to the Catholic Faith will be present in the back-pack of every young person taking part in the World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain this August. The project was expressly desired by Pope Benedict, who in his forward invites young people “to be more deeply rooted in their faith” than the generation of their parents.

“Pope Benedict is worried about young people”, says Fr. Eric, a young French priest, originally from Lyons. “It might seem surprising to some, because he is such an old Pope, but he has often spoken about the “educational emergency”. He wants young people to know the faith, to have it at the tip of their tongues and their fingertips, so they can be strong in their faith for themselves and for others”.

‘For others’ is an essential part of this initiative, points out Fr Eric, who is a member of the Emmanuel Community. He says “young Catholics are often the best missionaries among their piers and for this reason need to be formed in their faith”. Listen: