Empowering the Youth: Asian cardinals emphasize the importance of listening and involvement in parish life

Two Asian cardinals recently discussed their experiences in engaging young people in parishes and spiritual life, emphasizing the significance of youth involvement and listening within the Church.

Cardinal Filipe Sebastião Neri Ferrão, the archbishop of Goa and Daman in India, highlighted a significant initiative in revitalizing parish participation during a period of decline.

Faced with dwindling involvement, a parish in Goa created youth ministry councils to address the issue.

Ferrão noted that this effort led to innovative ideas, including the formation of prayer groups and social events aimed at fostering a sense of belonging.

Ferrao stated, “This good practice of youth ministry councils enables the young people to have a voice in the activities in the ministries of the parish. It improved communication, empowered the youth, enabled them to develop leadership skills, and increased their active involvement in the life and mission of the parish.”

The incoming president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) also praised the initiative as a model for encouraging youth participation in parish life.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan of Hong Kong highlighted how the synodal process has been embraced by the younger generation in his diocese.

He emphasized the importance of listening as part of the journey and pointed out that fostering open dialogue is key to unity.
Chow mentioned that a major part of the process has been training people in “conversation in the spirit,” which emphasizes active listening.

He noted that younger generations have been particularly receptive to this approach, while older parishioners have found it more challenging to adopt.

“This year is crucial,” Chow said. “Listening is the first act of synodality. If we don’t listen, we can’t truly walk together.”

The cardinal remains hopeful that through deeper listening and conversation, the Church in Hong Kong will continue to grow in unity and purpose, especially as it prepares for further direction from the synod.