Church is ‘unknown territory’ to the young

The Belgian bishops’ survey ahead of next year’s Vatican youth synod has found the Church is unknown to many young people and the number of young priests who might connect with them is falling, writes Tom Heneghan.

The bishops said the survey could not provide statistics to illustrate the situation, but they were blunt in their overall assessment. “We suspected that Christian faith was important for a minority. For the majority, it is terra incognita,” Brussels Auxiliary Bishop Jean Kockerols told the weekly Tertio.

As in other countries, the survey found that the young responded best to large religious events, such as the World Youth Days or Taizé pilgrimages. At the time of the WYD in Rome in 2000, there were still enough adults – in particular young priests – to accompany those attending. “They have disappeared almost completely,” said Bishop Kockerols, who is responsible for youth issues. “As a curate, I could find time for young people. Now there are almost no curates.” “We live in a terrifying world of constantly updated ‘breaking news’ where youths are trying to orient themselves,” he said. The Church must “meet them where they gather.”