On presenting the Final Document of the Synod on Young People to the press, on October 28, 2018, Paolo Ruffini highlighted some concrete proposals of the Synod Fathers.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication paused notably on number 123 of the Document, in which the Synod “asked to make effective and ordinary the active participation of young people in places of co-responsibility of the particular Churches, as well as in the organizations of the Episcopal Conferences and of the universal Church.” It also calls for “the reinforcement of the activity of the Department of Young People of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, including through the establishment of an organization representing young people at the international level.”
Number 141 pleads for “better coordination” of pastoral realities concerning young people — pastoral ministry of young people, family, vocation, university, social, cultural, charitable, leisure, etc. In fact, in this “fragmented world, which produces dispersion and multiplies belongings, young people need to be helped to unify their life,” reads the text.
Paolo Ruffini also mentioned number 119, speaking of young people’s desire to be involved in the Synod as “protagonists of life and of the mission of the Church.” It’s an appeal, the Synod Fathers believe, to “practice synodality . . . at all levels,” namely, to “promote the participation of all the baptized and of persons of good will, each according to his/her age, state of life and vocation.”
Moreover, in number 17, the Synod Fathers hope to give back priority to the pastoral and spiritual engagements of priests, by relieving them of administrative tasks, to have more time and energy to put at the service of young people.
Finally, the Dicastery’s Prefect mentioned the paragraphs that stress the role of women (13, 55, 163), and especially number 148, which recommends “a courageous cultural conversion and a change in daily pastoral practice,” to promote “the feminine presence in ecclesial organs at all levels, including in responsible functions,” as well as “feminine participation in ecclesial decisional processes, in respect of the role of the ordained ministry.”
