Catholic Youth Are Assets, Not Problems

As I have spoken with young people in the Church about their experiences of worship, inclusion, and synodality, I have come to understand the importance of attending to their wounds, many of which have been caused or worsened by the Church. These wounds come in many forms, but I’d like to focus on one that is discussed less often: the exclusion of young people from parish leadership and the leadership of other Catholic organizations that make up the life of the Church. As the Church works to embrace synodality as its modus vivendi et operandi and to have a “preferential option for young people,” we must urgently integrate young people into Church consultative bodies at all levels.