” “As regards this, Pope Benedict XVI recalled that "Most German youths live in good social and financial conditions, however there are difficult situations", such as an increase in the number of youngsters coming from broken families and in unemployment. In addition, "many young men and women are confused, have no valid answers for the questions on the meaning of life and death, on their present and on their future" ending up in the "quicksands" of alcohol and drugs, or in the spirals of extremist groups". Then without forgetting that one part of German youths, especially in the East "has never personally known the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the same traditionally catholic areas, the teaching of religion and catechesis do not always succeed in giving life to lasting bonds between young people and the ecclesial Comunity. For this reason the Church in Germany is committed to seeking new ways to reach young people and proclaim Christ to them". The World Youth Day is an exceptional "laboratory and also a vocational one. It is a call which asks to be welcomed and be interiorized, to put deep roots and thus bring good and lasting fruit. Taking into account the scarcity of priests and religious, which has now also reached a dramatic level in Germany, I invite you to promote with renewed enthusiasm vocational, youth and family pastoral care". The Pope insisted on the importance of associations and movements, "realities which the Church must put to good use". A similar logic is also valid in the field of catholic education and catechesis: "I am certain concluded the Pontiff that careful attention will be given so that, for tasks regarding religion and catechesis teachers, they must choose people who are prepared and faithful to the ecclesial magisterium. A useful help in this commitment for christian formation of new generations will certainly come from the Catechism Compendium of the Catholic Church".
