Dear Colleagues,

The end of the FIFA Women's World Cup and the national celebration of the success of the Matildas provides us with an opportunity for reflection on many issues including gender equity, inclusion, women in leadership, community building, the importance of celebration, and the human desire for joy and hope.

Alongside these many issues we observed again the importance of leadership and teamwork in the success of the Matildas demonstrated by individuals who did not seek power or glory for themselves but rather for the whole team. The passion of the team and its leadership was almost contagious and there can be no doubt that this football event brought joy and hope to the community at a time when our news services seem crowded with bad news stories. The strength of the young women in the face of many challenges serves to inspire a younger generation of followers—football fans and others—to follow their dreams and seek a life of joy and hope. It may give us some insights into how as a faith community, we can re-energise our youth and tap into their dreams and concerns for the future of the Catholic church.

At about the same time World Youth Day was being held in Lisbon, Portugal and was attended by millions of young faithful seeking to better understand their faith and a sense of belonging to a community that provides them with joy and hope in their daily lives. Our small group of pilgrims to WYD have returned recognising that our church has tremendous power and influence to do good. They have seen that a bruised and damaged Church can achieve that power and influence when it focuses on people's relationships with Jesus and one another. They have recognised that young people want to belong to a faith community that focuses on building relationships and community.

One of the four main documents of Vatican 11 was Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. This document addresses the Church's relationship with the contemporary world. It tackles various societal and cultural issues, and outlines the Church's commitment to engaging with, and bringing Gospel values to the modern world. There are many very good people in our Church who need to be listened to in this space. There are many who are not listening to the youth of the world and seek answers to the Church’s problems in a pre Vatican II world.

The importance of listening to our youth was well captured by John Warhurst, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University and former member of the Plenary Council. In Eureka Street, Vol 33 No 15, Catholic schools: Australia's ecclesial future?Warhurst reflects, “Catholic schools are the jewel in the crown of the church in Australia. While parishes continue to decline, the school sector is often booming. The contrast between ageing congregations and young students is stark. Equally striking is the contrast between relatively youthful school staff and ageing church [sic] leaders. Warhurst recognises the role that school staff can play in Church reform in order to inspire the participation of youth. “These staff, including but not restricted to leaders and team members in Catholic identity and religious education, have crucial responsibilities and unparalleled opportunities in their daily contacts with teenagers, whether Catholic or from many other backgrounds.”

The issues Warhurst canvasses that challenge our youth include:

synodality post Pope Francis’s ‘Synod on Synodality’ and its implementation
church teaching about sexuality and gender
equal rights for women
inclusion in community of all faiths, genders, sexualities and cultures.

If we are to learn anything from the Matildas and World Youth Day in inspiring a future generation to be active participants in our Church, it is that young people are actively seeking joy and hope and a sense of belonging to an institution that listens to the voice of the young and is prepared to be forward looking in different ways of engaging with the Good News of Jesus Christ in a contemporary context.

https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/search/section/religion

Best wishes,

Chris Smyth

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