In welcoming Bishops John Baptist Yang Xiaoting and Joseph Guo Jincai to the synod, Francis wept, saying: "The communion of the entire episcopate with the successor of Peter is yet more visible thanks to their presence."

Yang and Guo's presence with government approval at the synod is seen as a sign of the Church in China's restored communion with the Bishop of Rome.

It is also seen as an affirmation from China's government of the historic provisional agreement on the selection of bishops signed in Beijing last month.

Since it was signed, there has been much debate about the wisdom of the provisional agreement.

Some view it as an essential step in ensuring the unity of Catholics in China with the universal church.

Others view it as an unacceptable concession to the Chinese government and a betrayal of Chinese Catholics who have risked their lives for decades by refusing to allow the government to control the church.

However, in praising Francis's efforts for the Church in China, Yang says Francis's agreement with the communist government of China is a sign of the unified church in the world.

At a mass Yang and Guo concelebrated in Rome, Yang told parishioners: "Just as a family constituted by a husband and wife is always one, so is the church, which is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

"In Italy, in China or in any other country, Christ's love is the same.

"Pope Francis, who knows very well the situation of the Catholic Church in China, did not want to leave us, did not want to separate us from the universal church."

Yang went on to tell them China's Catholics were hopeful that Pope Francis, "and you, too," could visit China one day.

"In the love of Christ, in the love of God, we are always one family; the universal church is always like a family," he said.

"Even if we live in different countries and even if there is diversity between our cultures, liturgies and other things, our faith in the Lord is always one."

Because of other commitments and the short time frame between the date the agreement was signed and the synod's opening date, the two Chinese bishops are not able to stay until the synod ends on 28 October.

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"We have been hearing what they want to say to us, their bishops, of their hopes and dreams for themselves, the Church and the world," he writes.

Reflecting on the experience of listening to the hope and aspirations of the young people Lowe writes:

"Our young people live in a very complex world.

But as Church, we are called to be like the father in the parable who never gives up, who always goes out to his sons, and who always holds them in his heart and embrace no matter what.

This is the first call of the Church where the relationship that has primacy.

Behaviour changes when divine love in encountered as is attested to in the testimonies above.

We must never lose sight of the love God has for us. So as Church we must truly love with the heart of the Father.

But it also means, as sons and daughters of the Church, that we have to have hearts that are open to receive the Father's love. The perfection of unconditional love is found in giving and receiving, not just one or the other.

It strikes me more and more that all of our hearts need reforming so that in and through us Christ might transform the world."

Lowe says he has been moved by hearing the stories of young people enduring extraordinary hardships.

"But at the same time, we have been hearing about young people with great spirit, who are alive in their faith and service, who put their faith into action with so much joy and enthusiasm."

Click here to read more on Bishop Steve's Facebook page

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Populisms that make us see the other, the foreigner, as evil, as an enemy to be pushed away are to be avoided he said.

"Today populisms are fashionable, which have nothing to do with the 'popular': popular is the culture of the people that is expressed in art, in science, in celebration: every people celebrates in its own way.

"But populism is the opposite: it is a model of closure: "We are closed, we are alone", and when we are closed we cannot go forward". Read more

Research indicates that most young people disaffiliate from the faith between the ages of 10 and 12.

Young couples are not looking to get married in the church, nor are they bringing their children to be baptized (if they are having children at all).

Many young people can articulate some of the church's teachings but are not necessarily living passionate, faithfully Catholic lives.

We hear that term "crisis" today and immediately think about the current scandals concerning Archbishop McCarrick, the Pennsylvania grand jury report and the recent testimony from Archbishop Viganò.

But we are also facing another crisis in the church today: the hemorrhaging of youth and young adults from our churches.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, a man I deeply respect, admire and have learned from for years, said on Aug. 30 that the Synod of Bishops on young people, scheduled to take place in Rome this October, should be canceled because "the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic."

I do not think he is entirely wrong.

Some bishops have lost credibility because of the sexual abuse crisis, and the church as a whole is greatly suffering because of the lack of leadership and accountability.

Frankly, some bishops right now cannot credibly speak on any subject, much less how to keep young people from leaving the church and how to serve the ones who have chosen to stay.

I think Archbishop Chaput is articulating that idea very clearly.

But I do not think canceling the synod on youth to instead hold a synod on the "life of the bishops," as the good archbishop has proposed, is the answer.

A room full of bishops talking about themselves and what they need to do to govern effectively is not the right move at this time.

A synod on that subject should happen, but not at the expense of a critically important discussion on youth and young adults that is needed at this very moment.

To cancel the synod on youth would be to close the door, yet again, in the face of those who are standing at the door saying, "We have something for you, about the future of the church, and we need to tell you about it."

The synod on youth is needed now, more than ever, because the church needs to figure out how best to serve the young people who are watching the current crisis play out.

In June, when I had the chance to make a presentation to the general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—with the two other U.S. representatives to the "pre-synod," which took place in Rome in March—we spent 90 minutes fielding questions, providing firsthand experiences and offering insight.

The rest of the time I was there, I had the chance to talk with bishop after bishop about how to serve young people and what they could do to make sure the synod on youth was effective.

Many of them frankly admitted that they did not know what they could do to serve the youth and young adults of their dioceses. Continue reading

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The synod will gather bishops from around the world to discuss matters about "young people, the faith and vocational discernment."

"I have written the Holy Father and called on him to cancel the upcoming synod on young people.

"Right now, the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic," Chaput says. Read more