Guwahati (AsiaNews) – Young people are the hope of India and the world. However, in this day and age, their vitality and desire to get involved are threatened. Many are only drawn to material things and this is dangerous because young people are our hope, said Card Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai and vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), who opened the plenary assembly of local bishops in Guwahati (Assam).
The biennial assembly, which is scheduled to end 3 March, will focus on “Youth for Peace and Harmony”. Card Gracias will chair it because its designated president, Card Vithayathil, is ill.
In his opening address, the archbishop of Mumbai said that the Indian Church taken important pastoral initiatives, but has hitherto ignored young people. That cannot continue.
According to the prelate, young generations are full of talent and generosity, patient and idealist. Today, when corruption pervades all segments of society, the Church must rely on them to change things. However, more and more of them are interested in a successful career, a danger of which we must be aware. Christian values could be undermined in favour of a hedonistic view of life.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr Thomas Menamparampil, archbishop of Guwahati, said, “Around 47 per cent of the Indian population is below 20 years of age. Within the next 5 years, that could rise to 65 per cent. India’s youth are set to become a major force in the world, in both the secular and religious world. The urgency now is to train these kids, and develop their potential. If they are equipped with the right skills, motivation and in spirit, they can change not only India but also the whole world.”
Nevertheless, not all is well. For Mgr Menamparampil, “some young people, whilst gaining material prosperity, have also become indifferent. As an experienced missionary, I know that young people respond positively to passion and sincerity. This is why the Church has a missionary calling.”
A young man from Mumbai echoes the prelate’s misgivings. A graduate of Jesuit school, he said, “The Indian Church is starting to suffer from clericalism. Instead of acknowledging the professionalism of some lay people, priests feel threatened by those who do not belong to the same group and yet want to offer their services to Catholics. Lay people feel estranged, whilst a priestly ordination is sufficient to become the director of something or other.”
For another young man, the Indian clergy “does not understand the reality of contemporary life. They had a life of comfort in the seminary, but have never experienced the drudgery of working for a living. This is reflected in their Sunday sermons, which sometimes seems to come from people who do not know life. They talk about things they do not know, and for young people, it all seems a waste of time.”
Such flaws in the Indian Church can be changed. A young man, from Orissa, said, “We owe a huge debt to the priests. They comforted me after religious violence ravaged the State. In addition, they kept me away from the desire for vengeance. I owe a lot to the Church, and I want to pay it back anyway they ask me.”
