Percival Holt, the president of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) addressed the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican on October 16. Holt, 25, is president of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) that operates under the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI). He is among some 34 young people from around the world chosen to participate in the synod in the capacity of auditor or “listener”, who unlike a Synod Father does not have the right to vote. The theme of the October 3-28 Synod is, “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment.”
As reported by Vatican news, The Pontiff remarked that “Young Catholics of India are like the fragile and sinful men and women disciples of Jesus yearning for His living water. These young people are urging the Church leadership to be an authentic inspiration on living the faith and to provide them opportunities and spaces to build communities and experience the Church’s mission.” According to the Indian Catholic youth leader, many “priests today are a poorer inspiration than lay people.” Rather than “be reduced to meagre ritual-performers”, candidates to the priesthood, he said, need to be “groomed to nurture and handle the challenges and psychology of young people and extract the best out of them.” Holt said he was lucky to have good guides who helped him fall in love with Christ and his Church and to discern his vocation. But he has seen many unlucky who have fallen away by the wayside because of the lack of good guides. Holt described the challenging situation in which Indian youth are growing up. Success in life is dictated by extreme competition in education and career that leave many a young disappointed, depressed, mentally disturbed, with many migrating elsewhere. Political chaos, corruption and communal disharmony exacerbate the situation.
In conclusion, the ICYM president recommended that the outcome of the Vatican Synod be discussed and at a national level synod in order to help draw up a national pastoral plan for “youth ministry” in every country. Holt urged that a network of forums for young people in parishes and institutions under the leadership of young people themselves, guided by the clergy, in order to cater to their holistic formation.
