The PCP II and the PREFERENTIAL OPTION for the YOUTH ( The Role of the Clergy)

1. The PCP II and the PREFERENTIAL OPTION for the YOUTH ( The Role of the Clergy) REV. FR. JESSE T. GUILLERGAN, JR.

2. PCPII Pastoral Priority 7 - Journeying with the Youth. The youth are the most numerous in our population. They are some of the most active workers of renewal in the Church and in society. But they are also most vulnerable to the negative developments in our rising technological society. We affirm their gifts and immense capacity to pursue the Christian ideal in their lives and in society. We shall dialogue with them, enter their world, and journey with them toward the maturity of Christ to which we all aspire.

3. Philippine Population

4. Source:CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of August 23, 2014

5. Philippine Population by Religion Catholic 82.9% (Roman Catholic 80.9%, Aglipayan 2%), Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census) Source:CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of August 23, 2014

6. CBCP Directory YEAR 2012-2013:a. TOTAL NO. OF POPULATION: 96,871,813 b. TOTAL NO. CATHOLICS:    76,167,880 c. TOTAL NO. OF PRIESTS: 9,040 

7. Catholic Population 552,729 Number of Youth 219130 Number of Adults 162808 Number of Children 170659 Number of Clergy 83 Number of Religious 49

8. February 1991, the Catholic Bishops , Priests and Laity of the Philippines, gathered in what goes down in history as the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II), noted: “As for the youth, in 1989 there were 8.2 million of them between ages 18-24 or about 14% of the total population” (PCP II, no. 383)

9. The Preferential Option for the Youth,” “The greatest resource of the Church for evangelization are the young people of the Philippines… They are hungry for Christ and his word. They need to be evangelized. Unfortunately we do not reach the majority of our young people by catechetical instruction or the Sunday liturgy”. (PCP II, no. 650)

10. We need to become the “Church of the youth.” Regardless of our ministry, mission and interest, we are called to minister to the young. In whatever missionary field we are engaged in – parish setting, schools, formation – our determination and conviction, our occupation and exertion have to cover a preferential option for the young.

11. “Since youth constitutes a large and dynamic portion of the laity, the youth ministry should be assured of the fullest attention and highest priority in every way by all in the Church.” (PCP II, Decrees, Art. 50, #2)

12. The challenge of discipleship - of following Jesus - is at the heart of the Church’s mission. All ministry with adolescents must be directed toward presenting young people with the Good News of Jesus Christ and inviting and challenging them to become His disciples….If we are to succeed, we must offer young people a spiritually challenging and world shaping vision that meets their hunger for the chance to participate in a worthy adventure.

13. Priests need - To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community. To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

14. It’s about discipleship Empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. They hunger to hear the Good News that finds response in discipleship. As their companions on this spiritual journey, by...  proclaiming the Good News of Jesus through witness and word to young people.  enabling young people to live as disciples through their involvement in service, ministry, and leadership opportunities.  providing young people the faith skills for discipleship.

15. It’s about connection Draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the faith community. Young people have a hunger for connection, to be in relationship, and to really belong. Family, peers, school, youth serving organizations, and Church are primary connections for young people, by...  being a ‘youth friendly’ community that welcomes young people, values their participation, and calls forth their gifts.  integrating young people into the liturgical, pastoral, and ministerial life of the parish community.  creating opportunities for young people to enter into healthy relationships of trust and respect with their peers and with adults.  promoting Catholic identity and religious literacy through programs of adolescent catechesis.

16. It’s about gifts and growth Foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person. The Church must strive to surround young people with the best possible external scaffolds - networks of caring relationships of family, school, peers, and other adults - while young people are developing their internal psychological and spiritual backbone - their values, life skills, commitments, and moral compass, by...  enabling young people to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.  actively supporting positive youth development and fostering healthy values and life skills.  supporting families of young people by providing resources, programs, and services.  providing opportunities to experience and express caring, service, and compassion for others.

17. The Need for Priests in Youth Ministry A Priest in-charge of the Youth Ministry who will journey with the young people of the parish. Who will serve as Spiritual guide to the young members of the parish. And will over-see the youth formations and programs. The Priests and Youth Leaders are called to share in leadership to help make youth ministry happen.

18. An Open Letter to Priests by Young Catholics Dear Fathers, We are writing this letter to you today because we have some things we want to say to you. Some things are easier to say than others, but here you go. Before that, though, a HUGE thank you. Thank you for having the courage to say yes to your counter-cultural vocation. We are forever grateful and will never be able to repay you. We’re also grateful for your energy and enthusiasm you have for us as young Catholics.  

19. There are few people that value us for who we are and encourage us toward greatness and holiness as you do. But as you are well aware, times are tough for our generation of Catholics in America. Numbers of weekly Mass attenders are small these days.  Some studies show that only 10% of young adults in their twenties are attending Mass regularly. This is very concerning, to say the least. With that, here are some things we want to share with you. You may know this already as some of you are from our generation. But we want to share anyway, just in case you don’t know.

20. First, we love orthodoxy.  We’re hungry for the truth. We’re hungry for sane logic, common sense, and Jesus Christ. A huge number of us love the traditions of the Church that our parents and Grandparents didn’t like so much. You know why? Because practices that are distinctly Catholic help us stand out in a world that is obsessed with mediocrity, fitting in, and being “normal.” The practices that make us distinctly Catholic – like frequent confession, adoration, the Rosary, and even the regular use of incense at Mass – in a mysterious way, these things  help build up our identity as Catholics in the world. While you may think there’s too much of it, we think there is far too little.

21. Second, prayer is tough for us.   The world we grew up in is a world unlike anything you can ever imagine. We don’t remember a time without the Internet in our homes. Our attention spans are embarassingly short, and silence is almost non-existent in our day-to-day lives. We never learned how to just sit and ‘waste time’ with God. Pray with us. Offer more times for adoration. Teach us the prayers of the Church, like the liturgy of the hours, adoration, and the countless novenas. We are thirsty for this stuff, and truly desire to make our parishes houses of prayer.

22. Third, we need help dealing with porn, sex, and relationships. The culture of death is here, and although we know Christ is triumphant in the end, it’s winning in a lot of our lives right now. We need help, and we need it fast. More then confession, we need more resources and support to combat the slavery of porn. Let’s be honest here: a majority of guys in our generation are hooked on it. It’s not enough to tell us in confession that we need to pray more, use more blockers, or do something nice for somebody else as a penance. Those are great, but the problem is still getting worse. What we need are people in our lives who will help us fight it. It’s embarrassing to ask for help, or to talk about this outside of the confessional, so please start organizing programs, groups, and mobilizing men and women who are steadfast to engage our generation for mentorship and spiritual direction. If you don’t, who will?

23. Fourth, don’t be afraid to teach and preach (NFP). The Church’s teaching about sex and sexuality is good news. A recent study showed that a majority of Catholic women still don’t agree with the Church about certain aspects of the teaching on artificial contraception. However, those same women are open to hearing why the church teaches what she does. We’re used to hearing about sex, but from all the wrong sources. The Church’s wisdom is saving grace, and we want more of it.

24. Fifth, preach more about Jesus, and that he is alive. So many of us went to Catholic schools, but so few of us realize that Jesus is actually, really alive. This is concerning, because this is why we are Christians. This basic fact about our faith is not known. Given the fact that most Catholics learn about God from the ten minute homily, which often leave more to be desired in terms of content, we can see why.

25. Lastly, we need more opportunities for the sacraments in general. It’s difficult for anybody of any generation to make the 3:30pm confession time on Saturday afternoon, especially for those of us who have two jobs and a young family to take care of. Appointments are great, too, but having at least one more opportunity once in a while would be ideal. We know, you’re busy too. But if the sacraments actually are what we say they are, then they need to be more widely available. The world is quenching us, and we’re thirsty for the Fountain of Life. - See more at: http://www.ignitumtoday.com/2012/09/21/open-letter-to-priests-by-young-catholics/#sthash.1Kr0MMxJ.dpuf

26. "This is what is needed: a Church for young people, which will know how to speak to their heart and enkindle, comfort, and inspire enthusiasm in it with the joy of the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how to invite and welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which to commit his whole existence; a Church which is not afraid to require much, after having given much; which does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such such as that of the following of the Gospel." St. Pope John Paul II 1995 World Day of Prayer for Vocations

27. Today, we need a Church capable of walking at people's side, of doing more than simply listening to them; a Church which accompanies them on their journey; a Church able to make sense of the 'night' contained in the flight of so many of our brothers and sisters from Jerusalem; a Church which realizes that the reasons why people leave also contain reasons why they can eventually return. But we need to know how to interpret, with courage, the larger picture. Pope Francis