Nearly 300 delegates from Bishops' Conferences from 110 countries gathered in Rome to participate in the International Congress of Youth Ministry, organized by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. This event brought together leaders from diverse ecclesial realities to reflect on the past and plan for the future of youth ministry.
At the opening of the congress, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, highlighted the relevance of this event in the context of important moments for Catholic youth: the World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon 2023, the fifth anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit, the preparation for the Youth Jubilee 2025 and the WYD in Seoul, Korea, in 2027. In his welcoming remarks, Cardinal Farrell quoted Pope Francis:
«This is what the Holy Father invites us to do when he writes in Christus Vivit: ‘to frequent the past, to learn from history and [...] to frequent the future, to nourish enthusiasm, to make dreams germinate, to raise prophecies, to make hopes blossom. In this way, united, we can learn from one another, warm our hearts, inspire our minds with the light of the Gospel and give new strength to our hands’ (ChV, 199)» (ChV, 199).
The Regnum Christi family was represented at this congress by Brother Nicolás Brown, L.C., and Pablo Villagrán, a lay member of Regnum Christi Madrid. Both participated actively in the sessions and discussions on the reality of post-pandemic and wartime youth, as well as on issues of synodal and missionary youth leadership, and the formation and accompaniment of young leaders.
Brother Nicholas Brown, L.C., expressed:
«It has been a meeting to deepen the Christus Vivit and to share with many ecclesial realities from all over the world».
During the congress, participants reviewed the events of WYD in Lisbon and received detailed information about the upcoming Youth Jubilee in Rome, scheduled for the summer of 2025, and WYD in South Korea in 2027. A particularly significant moment was the audience with Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican. In his message, the Holy Father stressed the importance of these events as opportunities to bring hope to young people around the world:
«Thinking about the Youth Jubilee - next year - and the WYD in Seoul - in three years‘ time - my ’dream‘ is that they can make it easier for many young people to meet Jesus, even those who do not normally go to Church, by bringing them the message of hope. I think of those boys and girls who have ’lowered their gaze», who have lost the horizon, who have put aside their big dreams and have become trapped in sadness and depression. Asia is a young continent, a vital continent; however, many young people, especially in the big cities, suffer from the loss of hope and withdraw into themselves, with few relationships and few interests. And the same thing is happening all over the world. The events in Rome and Seoul are the occasions that God offers us to tell all the young people of the world that Jesus is hope, hope for you, hope for us, hope for all.
The congress also featured plenary sessions, group discussions and free interventions, allowing delegates to share experiences and develop strategies for youth ministry in their respective countries. The participation of Regnum Christi members in this congress underscores their ongoing commitment to the mission of evangelizing and accompanying young people to form communities of apostles.
