Pope Francis on Youth Ministry: Let Them Lead

This guest post was written by Craig Gould, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is also a member of the Young Life Catholic Relations national board.

Christus Vivit! (Christ is Alive)

“It is likewise important that it (path of growth for young people) has two main goals. One is the development of the kerygma, the foundational experience of encounter with God through Christ’s death and resurrection. The other is growth in fraternal love, community life, and service.” (CV, #213)

If the truth of the New Testament is often summed up with the 16^th verse of the 3^rd chapter from the Gospel of St John, I might suggest that the above line could be considered the summation of all 299 paragraphs (or 66 pages on my computer) from Pope Francis’ letter to young people, Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive!). For certain there are other great lines, but none so succinctly and pointedly captures the aim of the whole letter—and even more so the whole of meetings of bishops and young people—than these two goals.

Accept the kerygma.

Live the kerygma with each other.

I also do not need any clearer of a picture of what it means for Young Life and the Catholic Church to partner together than this mandate here. As a former Young Life staff person, I can testify to the great power of the kerygma I experienced through Young Life. (The “kerygma” here is defined as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord). As a life-long Catholic who has always been in ministry, I am witness to the reality that as a Universal Church we have, for centuries and across continents, wrestled with what it means to live as community. With those gifts offered together in mission, I believe that the plentiful harvest that Jesus speaks about will be realized.

If those words are encouraging, then these words are prophetic:

“I want to state clearly that young people themselves are agents of youth ministry.” (CV, #203)

For over 20 years I have been a Young Life staff person, a church youth minister, a graduate school youth program director, and a Diocesan director of youth ministry. Nothing has challenged me as much as Pope Francis’ call—no, his demand—that I allow young people to be agents of the gospel. He pushes us to step out of the way and make a space for them to lead. He demands that we recognize that not only can they lead, they must lead if we are going to see missionary discipleship as the Lord envisions it.

Both communities have spaces for this to happen—whether it be campaigners or work crew for Young Life or peer ministers and service camps for the Church. The prophetic voice moves us beyond offering those opportunities to simply the “elite” youth who have proven themselves. It’s a call to full inclusion, a call to a “popular” ministry, which I will explore in my next post.

Encouraged by kerygma and community, challenged by the agency of young people, I’m left to wonder:

What would happen if we let young people lead the kerygma?

What would it look like if young people helped define and bring to life community for all, not just themselves?

What would they do if young people experienced their own ability to bring the gospel to life?

Jesus wasn’t afraid to ask these questions. Pope Francis has reminded us of them. Now it’s time to let the young church give the answers.