Visits across the European channel
Some 1600 eyes seem to look straight through me as the young people they belong to are waiting for the meeting in Brentwood Cathedral to begin. It is February 2016 and I have been asked to tell them about Tweeting with GOD. Never had I thought that our simple parish initiative would ever bring together hundreds of young people. These are the confirmation candidates of Brentwood Diocese, aged between 15 and 16 years old. At first, they hang sloppily in their seats, but get more interested when I ask them to take out their phones to download the Tweeting with GOD app. I later learn that their teachers are less impressed, because as a rule they try to teach the kids that phones are not allowed in church… But then, the television screens that have been set up for the occasion to show my presentation defy the idea that electronics have no place in church.
Ignorance is bliss
Happily ignorant of my infractions, I enjoy the surprise on the participant’s faces when they realise that their phones can actually serve for something religious. God enters the digital sphere, where they are helped to find answers to their own interrogations about the faith. In preparation, every group has formulated questions and with our team we have been faced with the impossible task of choosing which questions will be dealt with in public. I recognise most of their questions, as similar questions were asked by young people in the Netherlands during the formation of the Tweeting with GOD book.
After a first hesitation and shyness to speak in the microphone, one kid after the other expresses their questions and views. ‘Father, if God created us, then why does my teacher say that we have evolved from monkeys?’, ‘If God is almighty, then why is there evil in the world?’, and many more. It becomes an engaging dialogue in spite of the size of the group. The bishop concludes the meeting with a prayer. As we meet more informally over refreshments, both youngsters and catechists come to chat. I am happy to see their enthusiasm in what I know to be a modern secularised society.
Families and teens
At the occasion of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland, in August 2018, it is a great joy to address the teenagers participating in this meeting of families. The Teen Village is dedicated entirely to them. The title of my talk is ‘Families of Hope: Living in a Digital Age’. And the conclusion: there indeed is reason for hope! Next, Cardinal Tagle joins me on the stage. He shares some entertaining episodes from his life, always with a deeper meaning which refers to our relationship with God.
In an informal on-stage conversation with the cardinal and some young people we then share a few of our most profound personal experiences of faith. The questions from the young people demonstrate their joy of life and desire to be hopeful. They also show that finding this hope is not always easy for them. Although this is an international meeting, most of these kids come from the greater Dublin area.
Crucifix
Only a few years ago, Ireland was one of the few strongholds of faith in Europe. Everyone seemed to be Catholic and the Church was everywhere. Formally, some 78% of the Irish population is Catholic even today. But in the daily reality that surrounds these teenagers, faith does not seem to exist. As I come down from the stage, some of them come to see me, mainly to tell me how difficult it is to be a Christian today. Sam shares how lonely he feels in his faith. His mother makes him wear a crucifix around his neck, but he has taken to covering it in public, so he does not have to face awkward question from his friends.
May, a girl about 15 years old, nods her head understandingly as he speaks. To my surprise she then launches into an enthusiastic explanation of her personal solution for dealing with such situations: she simply stopped bothering what other people think and freely admits that she is a Christian. This is a very courageous position for a teenager to take. She speaks in a way that is far more convincing to someone like Sam than I could ever be. As she stands there straight up, acknowledging her love for Jesus with sparkling eyes and an open face, I think she makes a marvellous missionary and promises a great future for the Church in Ireland!
