The Adaptation of Catechesis for Young People
40.
It is reassuring to note that, during the fourth general assembly of the synod
and the following years, the Church has widely shared in concern about how to
impart catechesis to children and young people. God grant that the attention
thus aroused will long endure in the Church's consciousness. In this way the
synod has been valuable for the whole Church by seeking to trace with the
greatest possible precision the complex characteristics of present-day youth;
by showing that these young persons speak a language into which the message of
Jesus must be translated with patience and wisdom and without betrayal; by
demonstrating that, in spite of appearances, these young people have within
them, even though often in a confused way, not just a readiness or openness,
but rather a real desire to know "Jesus...who is called Christ"
(89); and by indicating that if the work of catechesis is to be carried
out rigorously and seriously, it is today more difficult and tiring than ever
before, because of the obstacles and difficulties of all kinds that it meets;
but it is also more consoling, because of the depth of the response it receives
from children and young people. This is a treasure which the Church can and
should count on in the years ahead.
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