1400 people between the age of 16 to 29 years have so far responded to the invitation from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops to say what they think about life, faith, and their experience of Church through an online survey.
“It’s really heartening to see so many who want to be involved and have their say.” said Isabella McCafferty, a member of the National Youth Council.
The organisers are hoping a lot more people will participate in the survey before it closes at mid-night on 27 August.
Individuals or groups can complete the survey: Click here to have your say if you are under 30 years old.
The New Zealand bishops say Pope Francis “wants to hear from young people and has asked us to ask you! We would like to hear from all young people, whether you feel closely connected to the Church or not.”
The organisers of the survey are aware that wording of the questions may put people off. They were supplied by the Holy See in the Synod Preparatory Document and are not like the everyday language used in New Zealand.
“Please don’t let this put you off responding. You may like to focus on the questions that are most meaningful to you and skip those you don’t wish to answer.”
The survey is anonymous and the survey answers do not contain any identifying information.
Hamilton Bishop Steve Lowe says “this is a wonderful opportunity for young New Zealanders to have their voice heard on what matters to them in their lives, their faith and how they feel about the Church.”
The survey will contribute to a worldwide initiative by Pope Francis to better understand the lives, attitudes and concerns of young people around the world, in the lead up to the Synod on Young people, faith and vocational discernment in Rome, October 2018.
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