WHAT WE LEARNED FROM AND ABOUT
THE YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE CONGRESS

A) On what am I basing my reflection?

I was present at the Congress each morning. This enabled me to hear everything that was said in the Plenary Assembly: not only the conferences, but also the testimonies and reports of the Constellations. I was also able to speak with a good number of the young people, before the sessions and during the break. However, I was not present at the afternoon work in groups and Constellations. I was able, however, after the Congress, to read all the group reports, and of course the reports of the Constellations given in the Plenary Assembly on the final day.

I must say I was struck by the human and spiritual quality of the young people who came to the Congress. This gives much hope for the future of religious life, even though it is difficult to judge to what degree the young people present at the Congress represent the young of our communities as a whole. Obviously the Superiors General had chosen from among the best young people of their communities. With a touch of malice we could also say that the fact that the participants had been chosen by the Superiors General doubtless explains why there were on the whole very few contestants. Or is this a sign of the times? I believe that in such a Congress, when I was under thirty, that is, during the Council or immediately after it, there would have been a much greater tendency to question many things.