Synod: Bp Keenan. Youth seek
Church that leads them to Christ
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| Pope Francis meets with The Bishops of Scotland. |
Bishop John Keenan of Paisley speaks about a Church that
accompanies its young people and the Scottish Bishops’ recent Ad Limina visit.
By Lydia O’Kane
On the occasion of the opening of the Synod of Bishops on
Young People, Faith and Discernment, Scottish Bishops, John Keenan, Brian McGee
and William Nolan on Tuesday paid a visit to the Dicastery for Communications.
This visit followed last week’s meeting with Pope Francis which covered a
number of themes including nuclear disarmament and the safeguarding of minors.
Safeguarding of Minors
Speaking about their recent Ad Limina visit, Bishop John
Keenan of Paisley noted that the first theme that was raised with the Pope was
that of the safeguarding of minors. “It is an issue so important; so dear and
for us as Scottish Bishops has been for the last number of years and we wanted
to point out to the Holy Father, we had worked ever so hard, from the heart to
try to ensure that there was a culture where children and young people and
minors felt safe in the Church,” he said.
Synod on Youth
One of the key themes of this Synod on Youth is that of
vocational discernment. Asked whether the sexual abuse crisis is having an
effect on vocations and if the faith of young people is strong despite the
Church’s trials, Bishop Keenan said, that certainly, the issue of the
sexual abuse scandal will be there at the Synod. “It’s there in the
broader sense of how trustworthy is the Church, and trust is something which is
so important for young people”.
In an age of technology and social media, the Bishop pointed
out that young people are looking for a Church that is close to them. “I think
if we can be friends of the young people, be close to them, be friends,
fathers, brothers, it’s in that context that we can lead them to Christ who is
the real friend that they seek and that they need.”
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