On the eve of the October Synod of Bishops on Youth. Discussion of the preparatory document

Abstract

Taking care of youth is the basic task of the Church. An answer to the Church’s concern for young people is the youth synod (October 2018), which focuses on such issues as youth, vocation, and discernment. The preparatory document of the synod discusses the place of the young in today's world and their religious condition. The document draws attention to the "digitised" model of the world in which the young generation lives nowadays. In the virtual world, the categories of time and space, as well as self-perception change. Music, which becomes a privileged communication language for young people, deserves special attention. The next part of the document presents "current anthropological and cultural challenges" related to faith in the process of vocational discernment. This part of the document focuses on the issues of interpretation and discernment. At the centre of understanding one’s vocation, there is the power of God's word, which can be properly discerned during lectio divina retreats, biblical catechesis or through digital means for the transmission of the word of God.