VATICAN - “Young people and universities: bearing witness to Christ in the university environment” - starting tomorrow 8th International Youth Forum organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity

Tuesday, 30 March 2004

Vatican City (Fides Service) - From 31 March to 4 April Palm Sunday, the 8th International Youth Forum organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity will be held in Rocca di Papa (Rome) for young delegates from Catholic Bishops Conferences, Catholic movements and youth groups operating in the university environment: some 300 participants, aged 20 to 26, actively involved in the Church and university world from about 100 different countries are expected to attend.
The 8th Forum has two new characteristics: a new Forum formula more defined and more formative, and a specific theme to reflect on some concrete aspect of the life of young people. In order to allow the Pontifical Council for the Laity Forum to follow the event more closely and to involve the young participants in pastoral activity, the Forum will be a separate event, no longer part of the World Youth Day celebrations as hitherto. It will however still be connected with the WYD through the diocesan celebration of the 19th WYD on Palm Sunday in Rome, in St Peter’s Square.
The theme for reflection this year is: “Young People and the University: Bearing witness to Christ in the university environment”. During four days, with the help of input from speakers from all over the world, the participants will try to understand the political and cultural context of universities all over the world and how these centres of formation have given rise to educating communities which offer societies young people capable of discerning with integrity the primary values of life. Forum participants will also reflect on the characteristics of the university and university students in the different countries (“Young people and the University today ”), to see the impact of studies on the life of the young people (“Studies and Life”). Thirdly they will analyse “University and Truth”, to see how the university responds to young people’s request for meaning and how the university fulfils its task to form students to search for the truth. The last theme “University and Christian Witness” will focus on evangelisation and university pastoral and particularly the different means of evangelisation to develop in the university environment.
To reach its objective the International Youth Forum will give priority to inter-action and inter-disciplinary aspects alternating conferences with moments of sharing, workshops, round table discussions to form a concrete idea of the different situations in the international ambit. The ultimate objective is to offer participants concrete tools of reflection and growth to enable them to play a role of transmission and formation in their communities, associations, and movements in their respective countries.
Besides this the Forum gives the young people time to share their faith with liturgical celebrations and prayers. The young delegates will have the joy of meeting the Pope twice during the Forum: on Thursday 2 April they will join Rome diocesan youth to celebrate a vigil with the Pope in St Peters Square preparation for the 19th World Youth Day, and during the Mass for WYD on Palm Sunday 4 April. The theme this year for WYD is “We want to see Jesus” (Jn 12,21). This Palm Sunday event will close the Forum and it will be the last lap in preparation for the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne Germany in August 2005. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2004 - Righe 44; Parole 631)


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