The Church prepares to celebrate the Youth Jubilee in Rome, from July 28 to August 3 2025, with the conviction that youth is a richness to be welcomed and accompanied. Far from the discourses that distrust or minimize their role, this Jubilee event recognizes in young people a living force capable of renewing faith, spreading hope and opening new paths. What do young people tell us today about God and about the Church? Are we ready to walk with them, not as distant guides, but as companions in mission? Gustavo Castañón, Permanent Missionary of the Regnum Christi, and currently has its mission with young people and adolescents in Las Condes, Santiago (Chile), offers the following reflection on the Jubilee of Youth.
On the occasion of the Jubilee of Youth, the Church is once again focusing her gaze on youth as a true treasure of faith, hope and renewal. This Jubilee event, within the framework of the Holy Year that convened Pope Francis, is a providential opportunity to rediscover the transforming power of young people in the life of the Church. Far from a pessimistic or distrustful vision, this time of grace invites us to recognize and accompany the journey of so many young people who seek, love and serve God with joy and courage.
The wisdom of the Scriptures and the heart of the Church
We often hear laments about today's youth, echoes of phrases that, surprisingly, date back to thinkers like Aristotle and Socrates, more than two thousand years ago. «Young people lack control, respect, education and morals.», are statements that seem to resonate through the centuries.
It is a generalized view, yes, and sometimes, at the beginning of a talk or retreat, we see young people nodding, perhaps recognizing the weight of this social perception. But, Is youth just that? No way! It is much more. Youth is, above all, a time of searching and, on many occasions, of a profound encounter with God.
Sacred Scripture invites us to a higher vision. In Ecclesiastes 11:9 we are told: «Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart take pleasure in the days of your adolescence. Walk according to the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes, but remember that in all these things God will judge you.». And in 1 Timothy 4:12 he exhorts us: «Let no one despise your youth; rather, be an example of the believers in word, conduct, love, faith and purity.».
This is the constant message of our Church. St. Paul VI, with great insight, affirmed: «Youth is not afraid of great things; instead, it is afraid of bad and mediocre things. It is the age fit for great ideals». The Church, like an old tree that loves spring, looks at the young with confidence and loves them. St. John Paul II called them «the hope of the world and of the Church», Pope Francis, with his closeness, reminds us: «You are God's now».
Humanity is in dire need of the witness of free and courageous young people who dare to swim against the current and proclaim their faith in God.
A generous heart and unexpected apostolic zeal
When we have the opportunity to work closely with young people, we are impressed and amazed by their capacity to love and the depth of their souls.
In each «Encounter with Christ» that I have with the team of young people I accompany, I witness the delicacy of their souls, their deep relationship with God and a palpable love for the Church and the Holy Father. It is this conviction of God's love that impels them to devise and develop new apostolates, with a very deep zeal for souls.
The future of the Church and the world is in the hands of these wonderful people who, like the beloved apostle, share not only their love for God, but also their youth.
Our responsibility: walking together
As we are remindedó Pope Francis, our mission is not only to organize events for young people, but to walk with them, listen to them and accompany them. It is crucial to be always present, allowing ourselves to be infected by their enthusiasm, their generous dedication and their love. Pope Leo XIV, in one of his first Angelus, said to young people: «Do not be afraid, accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord.».
We started from a common concern about today's youth, that pessimistic view that has persisted over the centuries. However, we have seen how the wisdom of Scripture and the heart of the Church invite us to a radically different perspective: youth is a treasure of faith and hope, a time of searching and encountering God.
To see so many young people giving themselves to the missions, taking on various apostolic challenges, generously offering their time as collaborators of a year or to respond with total dedication to God's call to the priesthood or consecrated life is an inexhaustible source of admiration.
Therefore, our responsibility as members of the Regnum Christi is clear: accompany them, trust in their ability and let them act.
As it also reminds usó Pope Francis: «To be young is not to be of a certain age, it is to have a heart with the capacity to love.».
Let us trust in youth, which is God's now!
