Chinese Catholics are resisting Beijing’s campaign to restrict religious freedom. As the law forbids minors from entering places of worship, Catholics are “reinventing” their homes as temporary “churches” for services that can include the whole family. “Each family is continuing its faith activities at home and maintaining its strong bonds with God,” says a young Read more
We are facing a current crisis in the church. Only 14 percent of Catholic millennial young adults go to Mass every Sunday. 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 Read more
The Vatican’s working document for October’s Synod of Bishops on “Young people, the faith and vocational discernment” has been published. The document is divided into three sections: recognising; interpreting; and choosing with regard to vocation in life. Young Catholics “want an authentic church”, the document says. “With this, we would like to express, particularly to Read more
In Northland, where many young people leave school before 17 and one in four are not in education, employment or training, a group of young people has taken action. In 2012, a group of 10 young people talked to the local Whangarei District Council staff. They said they were sick of hearing bad stories about Read more
Young Catholics are returning to the traditional rosary. John Mallon, who helped organise a Rosary on the Coast event last Sunday afternoon said he thinks this is because “young people crave stability in a world that often changes quicker due to technological advances.” The event was held in 350 locations in the British Isles . Read more
The church needs to update its teachings on issues like same-sex marriage and contraception, young people told Pope Francis last week. Three hundred young people who came from all over the world to meet Francis also had words for the Church hierarchy. It should be a “transparent, welcoming, honest, inviting, communicative, accessible, joyful and interactive Read more
Young people are confused, anxious and unhappy as a result of negative cultural influences according to conferences at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame. The Church could help address these conditions if the young people weren’t disconnected from church institutions. This makes the upcoming Synod on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment all the more urgent, Read more
Pope Francis wants young people to go online and give the Catholic Church an earful. His invitation is for young people all over the world. Their views will add to those of young Catholics meeting in Rome next month. Read more
Isabella McCafferty of Wellington will represent New Zealand at the Vatican in March for an international youth gathering. Ms McCafferty works with the Church’s Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Wellington Archdiocese. She is in the pastoral ministry and her work supports families and young people across 22 parishes. Ms McCafferty meanwhile also Read more
There are two groups of young Catholics: those who want to “draw the Church back” to a previous era, and those who think the Church should conform to social trends, according to a report from the bishops of England and Wales. The bishops surveyed around 3,000 young Catholic Britons ahead of next October’s synod of Read more