The Youth Office of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is holding the International Youth Forum in Rome to carry forward the work of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment in 2018, which Bishop of Hamilton Bishop Steve Lowe attended.

Joey Bonnevie of the Auckland Diocese and Isabella McCafferty of the Wellington Archdiocese will fly to Rome this coming weekend to join the forum.

About 250 youth from all over the world are expected to attend the June meeting, some of whom like Isabella took part in the pre-synodal forum.

Isabella and Joey work in youth ministry in their respective dioceses.

The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is focused on a Church for the young, promoting collaboration with youth and organising meetings on an international level.

Those invited to the Forum have been asked to come prepared and to participate actively, to be able to communicate and pass their experiences and messages on to others.

Isabella says, "it is envisaged that the June Forum will continue the work done to date towards outreach to the grassroots to nourish the future ministry of the church.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to again come together with other young people from all over the world and continue the work done by the Pope, Church leaders and the Dicastery."

21 New Zealanders attended the international celebration for 2019 World Youth Day (WYD2019) in Panama earlier this year, an event attended by thousands from around the world.

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Among his various engagements, he will visit young people not able to attend the festivities: some in jail and with some living with HIV.

Pope Francis will also dedicate the altar of Panama's newly renovated 400-year-old cathedral, meet with bishops from Central America and have lunch with some of the young people attending the youth day gathering. Read more

The event in January next year will be attended by thousands from around the world.

Bishop of Palmerston North, Charles Drennan, who will be accompanying the New Zealand pilgrimage to Panama, commented "it's my first World Youth Day.

"I'm excited by the renewal Pope Francis is bringing to the Church and I'm confident this pilgrimage of faith to Central America will be full of the joy and sense of mission that radiates from so many of our young people."

The New Zealand contingent will arrive in Panama and initially be hosted by a local Panamanian parish community along with contingents from Ireland and Latvia.

In this local community, the groups will experience Panamanian culture, exchange ideas, participate in faith services and work together on service projects.

The official WYD events begin on 22 January with an Opening Mass.

Participants will hear sessions hosted by Bishops from throughout the world, there'll be WYD festival events and Pope Francis will celebrate the Closing Mass with up to one million expected to attend.

Previously, international events have been held in the US, Brazil, the Philippines and Australia.

The theme for the celebration in Panama is "I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

WYD2019 is taking place a few months on from the October Synod on ‘Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment' held in Rome.

The October Synod was preceded by months of preparation, involving young people from many countries having their say on the future direction of the Church. In 2017, the VoicetoVatican survey for Young New Zealanders received almost 2000 responses.

This fed into global findings about young people and their faith. A preparatory meeting in March, led by young people, considered the findings and prepared a discussion document for the bishops at this month's Synod.

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Its creators say the goal is to teach players of all ages about the Catholic faith.

"Follow JC Go" was developed by Florida-based Fundación Ramón Pané for World Youth Day 2019, which will take place in Panama in January.

So how does it work?

As with Pokemon Go, the game uses the player's smartphone camera to take in their surroundings, then superimposes digital characters.

Players progress through the game by answering religious quiz questions when they "meet" a saint.

This may involve attributing a quote from the Bible, for instance.

As an example, Moses might ask the player, "Was it I who said: 'My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?'"

If the player answers correctly, the character will join their e-team (or Evangelisation Team).

Elements of prayer are also included in the game: players must eat, drink and pray to level-up their characters and contribute to their in-game health. The game also encourages players to go into church whenever they pass one.

Although the Vatican isn't directly connected to the game, Pope Francis is reportedly a fan.

"You know, Francis is not a very technological person, but he was in awe, he understood the idea, what we were trying to do: combine technology with evangelisation," says Ricardo Grzona, executive director of Fundación Ramón Pané.

Although the new game was launched in Spanish last week, Italian, English and Portuguese versions are expected in the coming weeks.

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The service aimed to rally enthusiasm for the Church's World Youth Day. It will be held in Panama in 2019.

"At my age, we (old people) are about to pass away," he said.

"The future is in your hands."

At present. Francis is preparing for the next big meeting of the world's bishops. The synod will focus on young people.

The Vatican has sought young people's help to inform its work and participate in the synod.

Help is needed not just from dedicated Catholics but all young people, atheists included, Francis said.

"Who guarantees life? No one. At your age, you have the future ahead of you," Francis urged his youthful congregation.

A few minutes later, Francis referred to his mortality again.

He hinted he may not be around to lead the planned World Youth Day.

"I don't know if it will be me, but the pope will be in Panama!" he said.

Francis has often said he does not expect to be pope for very long.

He has suggested he may be around for four or five years - in which time he says he may die, or retire like Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

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