Sexuality, the role of women and the desire for a Church that listens are among the main concerns for young people, the working document for the upcoming ‘youth synod’ says. Young people are living in a time of increased cultural instability, and are divided over Church teaching on contraception, homosexuality, abortion and marriage, the document adds.
As reported by Catholic Herald, Presenting the document to journalists, His Eminence Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri said that “the synod’s goal is that young Catholics may find “the beauty of life, beginning from the happy relationship with the God of the covenant and of love” in a world that often robs them of their “affections, bonds and prospective of life.” His Eminence Cardinal added, “The synod dedicated to young people gives us the opportunity to rediscover the hope of a good life, the dream of a pastoral renewal, the desire for community and passion for education.” The working document also states that while the Church highlights the importance of the body, affection and sexuality, many young Catholic men and women “do not follow the directions of the sexual morality of the Church.”
Young people attending the pre-synod meeting said issues such as contraception, abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation and marriage are often debated both by young Catholics and non-Catholics. The working document also highlighted the need to reaffirm Church teaching on the body and sexuality at a time when biomedical advancements have pushed a more “technocratic approach to the body,” citing examples such as egg donation and surrogacy.
Source: Catholic Herald
