Vocational discernment
The website facilitates the online sharing of information, knowledge, experiences, initiatives. Whilst the questionnaire is the tool by which young people can make their voices heard, expressing their feelings and faith, as well as their doubts and criticism, so that their voices may reach the Pastors, as they were invited to do by Pope Francis in the Letter he addressed to them at the beginning of the Synod journey
The General Secretariat of the Synod has announced the opening of a website in preparation for the XV Ordinary General Assembly on the theme of “Youth, faith, and vocational discernment”, which will be held in the month of October 2018. The website will be available from today at: youth.synod2018.va. We have asked Card. Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, to tell us more about the initiative.
The decision of the General Secretariat of the Synod to launch a website to consult all young people, no one excluded, via a questionnaire is a response to the need to involve them as much as possible in the Synod journey of the Church on the theme of “Youth, faith and vocational discernment”. On the one hand, the website is meant to provide the tools necessary for them to become more aware and engaged participants. On the other hand, it is meant to give visibility to the initiatives in which they are protagonists.
The website facilitates the online sharing of information, knowledge, experiences, initiatives. Whilst the questionnaire is the tool by which young people can make their voices heard, expressing their feelings and faith, as well as their doubts and criticism, so that their voices may reach the Pastors, as they were invited to do by Pope Francis in the Letter he addressed to them at the beginning of the Synod journey. The online questionnaire is different from the questionnaire contained in the Preparatory Document in that it has different questions and purposes. Indeed, it is aimed at young people who are invited to ‘tell’ their lives, their expectations, and their fears.
Through the proposed questions, young people can introduce themselves, say how they see themselves and the world around them, indicate how they live their relationships with others, and what is their stance on life choices. They are asked their views about their relationship with religion, faith and the Church. The last series of questions is about their online presence. Finally, they are invited to say something about themselves that has not been asked in the questionnaire.
