The Archbishop of Merida-Badajoz bets for a Education from freedom manager in the face of the secularization of European society.
Bishop Celso Morga reminds the University of Navarra that in Spain only 22% of weddings are celebrated by the Church.
"The decrease in confirmations and baptisms is a clear symptom of the rapid secularization that has occurred in Spanish society and throughout Europe. Currently only 22% of the weddings celebrated in Spain are by the Church". Celso Morga, Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz, during the opening session of the Course of update Pastoral of the University of Navarra, which brought together more than 200 people from different Spanish dioceses.
He compared the status of many young Christians to that of the son in the Gospel parable who left the Father's house and recalled that in the face of this status it is necessary to continue working: "Most of them will be able to return if the sowing during childhood and adolescence has been good".
To this end, he proposed three ideas: in the first place, "to educate always from freedom manager"; secondly, to educate in the divine filiation in Jesus Christ: "We must put in the hearts of young people the experience of this wonderful reality"; and thirdly, to begin and begin again and again in the apostolic work : "To go out to his meeting as the Father does in the Gospel parable, and to institute in the parishes youth groups where we bet on a servant leadership, leaders of the everyday, with a great spirit of service: responsible men and women more than important".
The course, focused on 'Young people: first advertisement, accompaniment, and vocational discernment', was intended to be an opportunity for reflection and meeting, to share ideas and experiences on the pastoral care of young people. The program included some of the questions that will be raised at the next Synod, in which the Church will ask herself how to accompany young people so that they may recognize and accept the call to love and to life in fullness.
The course combines lectures and panel discussions. Celso Morga, Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz, on "Faith, young people and vocation ministry, a living concern of the Church", and continued with a lecture by Professor Juan Luis Lorda on some of the keys to pastoral work with young people.
The first panel discussion was moderated by César Izquierdo, Associate Dean of the School of Theology. Speakers were José Antúnez, Full Professor of Philosophy at the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University of Madrid, and Javier García Manglano, sociologist at the University of Navarra.
The second panel was entitled "Some experiences of spiritual accompaniment of young people". Luis Oliver, pastor of Sto. Tomás de Villanueva in Benicásim; Emilio Gil, pastor of Sant Ambrós in Barcelona; and José Ignacio López-Navarrete, pastor in Azuaga, Badajoz. The moderator was Enrique Borda, delegate of University Pastoral of the Diocese of Vitoria.
In the afternoon, Archbishop Juan Carlos Elizalde, Archbishop of Vitoria, presided at the Eucharistic concelebration with 80 priests at seminar International Bidasoa.
On the morning of Wednesday 19, the third panel discussion took place: "Is it possible to generate groups of young people around the Church, how to cultivate vocational restlessness in today's environment? The speakers were Héctor Devesa, director General of the high school Mayor Belagua, and Fulgencio Espa, parish priest of St. Mary of Nazareth in Ensanche de Vallecas.
Paul O'Callaghan, professor at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce (Rome), closed the course with a session on "Understanding and accompanying vocations in the post-truth era."
