In the fall of 2020, when everything was closed due to COVID, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) held Zoom Call meetings with a total of two hundred young Canadians aged 12 to 25. The meetings were intended to be a time for dialogue. , mirror image and information gathering.
The bishops then took what they learned from those meetings and turned it into a pastoral letter for other young people, and published it last week to coincide with the dinner of Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. The letter highlights what the bishops heard in those conversations with other young people across Canada.
“As bishops of Canada, we desire to walk with young people, not only to better perceive the global through their experience, but also to inspire them as they grow in their own faith,” the letter said.
Here are some of the key things bishops have learned about today’s teens and adults.
There are many stresses and demanding situations for today’s young people, ranging from peer pressure and family issues to worries at school and work, all of which have a huge impact on their mental health.
COVID and all that comes with it has left other young people with doubts about their lives and their future. They don’t know if they’re well prepared for the future, if they’ll be ready to get into colleges and get the jobs they want, and they are. Worried about the emerging burden of living.
The young people the bishops spoke to said they appreciate the live-streamed Masses, online prayer resources and virtual occasions and equipment that have sparked the pandemic and need them to continue. Having said that. . .
The young people told the bishops that social media can “consume everything, meaningless and even hurtful, leading to emotions of isolation, loneliness and diminished self-esteem. “This can make them feel incredibly socially isolated.
Perhaps more than any other generation, Generation Z believes that creation is a gift from God and deserves to be cherished.
Some other young people feel forgotten, one user tells the bishops: “It turns out that after confirmation, the Church forgets us until the preparation of marriage. “They need to see opportunities to grow in faith, discern their vocation and tactics for others. .
Young people need to be young people to ask questions and have their perspectives and considerations taken seriously. They must have a good reputation and feel that they have something of value to make a contribution to the Church and the world.
The bishops shared their private stories of religion with the other young people they spoke to and said in their letter that they were moved by it:
“It shows us that you appreciate witnesses as a source of inspiration for your religious journey,” they said. Young people are no different from other people of any age: they are touched through original testimonies and testimonies.
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The pastoral letter also highlights 3 wonderful role models for young people: Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and the Blessed Mother, and ends with the bishops reminding young people of their wonderful value.
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