YouCat Congress urges youth to
new ways of evangelization
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| YouCat |
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the
Philippines, presided over the inaugural Mass of the 2nd YOUTCAT International
Congress in Iloilo City, November 7-10.
By Robin Gomes
The Holy See’s representative to the Philippines is
encouraging young people to make the most of their talents, especially by
serving those in need, and not just hiding them.
Speaking at 2nd International "YOUCAT" Congress of
young Catholics, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia told delegates
from around the world, “you are not just in mission, you are a mission!”
Organized by "YOUCAT" Philippines and the
Archdiocese of Jaro, the event had “Arise” as its theme, taken from Luke’s
Gospel (7: 11-17) where Jesus raises back to life the young son of the widow of
Naim.
YouCat is a portmanteau word (combination word) for Youth
Catechism, which is an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC
of 1997) for the needs of adolescents and young people. Approved by the
Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, its contents are
summarized briefly and comprehensibly in a question-and-answer format.
With more than 5 million copies sold in different
languages, YouCat is one of the best-selling Catholic books in the world.
Life has meaning when shared
Celebrating the inaugural Mass, the Pope’s representative
reminded the more than 1,200 participants from at least 19 countries that life
has meaning when given with love to others.
“It’s beautiful to be welcomed by those who have received
help from us in this life and spend your talents, not hide them somewhere,” Archbishop
Caccia said.
A life lived selfishly is useless, he said. On the other
hand, life has value when gifts are shared with others. “What happens to the
talents that the Lord has given us? Do we store them safely somewhere without
multiplying them?” he asked.
The 4-day event aimed at exploring new ways of the new
evangelization.
Archbishop Caccia also stressed that their Christian mission
is “an instrument of the grace of God.” “He called us as He called His
apostles,” he said. “To enter into heaven, we need the help of the poor. Don’t
lose the occasions to give, don’t lose the occasions to share.”
The Commission on Youth of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) endorsed the congress as part of its many initiatives
for the “2019 Year of the Youth”, which is being celebrated as part of a 9-year
preparation for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the
arrival of Christianity in the Philippines (1521-2021).
The YouCat movement in the Philippines assists parishes in
creating and developing resources and materials for evangelization, creating
networks and collaboration, also with the tools of new technologies.
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