By Alison Pope
Associate Director, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
One year ago this month the document Christus Vivit was released. Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive) is the post-synodal apostolic exhortation that was written by Pope Francis in response to the Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on young people, faith, and vocation discernment that was held in October of 2018. It must be noted that the age group considered by the Synod is 16–29 years old. In the document, when referring to “young people,” the same age range is applied.
While this exhortation is a short and easy read, it is a challenging document. Pope Francis reminds both the young people and the church-at-large that what we’ve been doing no longer works. The world we live in has changed, as well as how we relate to the world and our faith. This is especially true of Millennials and Generation Z. As Pope Francis puts it, “Consequently, the Church should not be excessively caught up in herself, but instead, and above all, reflect Jesus Christ. This means humbly acknowledging that some things concretely need to change, and if that is to happen, she needs to appreciate the vision but also the criticisms of young people” (39).
Pope Francis begins the document by reminding all of us what Scripture says about young people, pulling examples from both the Old and New Testaments. He uses all of chapter two to remind us what Scripture helps us learn about Jesus as an adolescent, as well as what he taught about young people. “Let us keep in mind that Jesus had no use for adults who looked down on the young or lorded it over them. On the contrary, he insisted that ‘the greatest among you must become like the youngest’ (Lk 22:26). For him, age did not establish privileges, and being young did not imply lesser worth or dignity” (14).
There is a tendency in youth ministry for some to look at what they consider a successful program and want to copy it exactly. While that is not always a bad thing, we must keep in mind that every community is different, and what works with one set of young people may not work the same with another because of these differences. Pope Francis reminds us of this when he writes, “I encourage communities to examine, respectfully and seriously, the situation of their young people, in order to find the most fitting ways of providing them with pastoral care” (103).
Youth ministry must be synodal, meaning that the young people must be involved in all aspects and ministries of the parish. We often delegate ministry to young people to a particular group or program, but it should involve the entire community. While effective youth ministry does require proper planning and organization, we are reminded that “Youth ministry needs to become more flexible: inviting young people to events or occasions that provide an opportunity not only for learning, but also for conversing, celebrating, singing, listening to real stories and experiencing a shared encounter with the living God” (204). Ministry should be comprehensive, incorporating a variety of methods and components, and not simply focused on one thing such as social events or learning facts about the faith.
Pope Francis also emphasizes “that youth ministry involves two main courses of action. One is outreach, the way we attract new young people to an experience of the Lord. The other is growth, the way we help those who have already had that experience to mature in it” (209). While some tend to look strictly at numbers when evaluating ministry, we must also remember that effective ministry helps people to grow in faith, not simply show up at events. Effective ministry gives young people the skills needed to live out a life-long faith, not just a group to belong to that will leave them floundering when they are no longer part of that group.
In addressing the young people, Pope Francis shares a message that should be at the center of all our ministries — God loves you, Christ saves you, Christ is alive! These three truths, according to Pope Francis, are something “we should never keep quiet about” (111).
Pope Francis does not only challenge older generations, he also challenges young people: “Let us steer clear of young people who think that adults represent a meaningless past, and those adults who always think they know how young people should act” (201). We are reminded that we need both the older and the younger generations in our church. We must strive to remember that we need to listen to each other and learn from each other as everybody, regardless of age or experiences, has something worthwhile to contribute.
Young people are also challenged to grow in their faith without losing the good things about their current stage of life: “I hope that you will be serious enough about yourselves to make an effort to grow spiritually. Along with all the other exciting things about youth, there is also the beauty of seeking ‘righteousness, faith, love and peace’ (2 Tm 2:22). This does not involve losing anything of your spontaneity, boldness, enthusiasm and tenderness” (159).
Young people are reminded that holiness is unique to each individual: “I would also remind you that you won’t become holy and find fulfillment by copying others. … You have to discover who you are and develop your own way of being holy, whatever others may say or think” (162). While we all should encourage each other to grow in holiness, that does not mean that their holiness must look like ours.
Pope Francis also implores young people not to waste their young years: “Dear young people, make the most of these years of your youth. Don’t observe life from a balcony. … Take risks, even if it means making mistakes. … Make a ruckus! Cast out the fears that paralyze you, so that you don’t become young mummies. Live! Give yourselves over to the best of life! Open the door of the cage, go out and fly! Please, don’t take early retirement” (143).
In speaking about vocation, Pope Francis reminds us that at its root, our vocation is about how we are called to serve others: “Your own personal vocation does not consist only in the work you do, though that is an expression of it. Your vocation is something more: it is a path guiding your many efforts and actions towards service to others” (255).
He also reminds us that vocation is about our response to God in all areas of our life: “The word ‘vocation’ can be understood in a broad sense as a calling from God, including the call to life, the call to friendship with him, the call to holiness, and so forth. This is helpful, since it situates our whole life in relation to the God who loves us. It makes us realize that nothing is the result of pure change but that everything in our lives can become a way of responding to the Lord, who has a wonderful plan for us” (248).
When we discover our calling in life, it will make all we do more meaningful: “When we discover that God is calling us to something, that this or that is what we were made for — whether it be nursing, carpentry, communication, engineering, teaching, art or any other kind of work — then we will be able to summon up our best capacities for sacrifice, generosity and dedication. Knowing that we don’t do things just for the sake of doing them, but rather we endow them with meaning, as a response to a call that resounds in the depth of our being to offer something to others: that is what makes these occupations bring a sense of deep fulfillment” (273).
This document reminds us that we made a promise to the young people when they were baptized to support them in their faith. How that is done will vary based on the individual young people and the communities to which they belong. Yet our support is not contingent on anything other than the fact that they are members of our faith community through their baptism.
It also reminds me that how we live out our faith in our daily lives will speak more loudly than any lectures or classes. Ministry is about more than just words; it matters that we develop a relationship and show that we care about them and what is happening in their lives. Pope Francis tell us, “Young people need to be approached with the grammar of love, not by being preached at. The language that young people understand is spoken by those who radiate life, by those who are there for them and with them. And those who, for all their limitations and weakness, try to live their faith with integrity” (211).
It closes with a reminder to young people that the Church needs them, and that they may have to pave the way and wait for the rest of us to catch up: “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, ‘attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us’” (299, emphasis added).
Side note: There has been no shortage of resources developed in this last year around Christus Vivit. The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry has compiled their own resources, as well as some from other trusted sources, at https://nfcym.org/resources/topics/christus-vivit-resources/. NFCYM is also continuing to develop more resources. Later this month they will release a study guide, and they continue work on training resources.