ASIA/PAKISTAN - In the Year of Youth the Church promotes training courses for catechists and animators

Saturday, 27 July 2019 youth   catechists  

Ayubia (Agenzia Fides) - "We have to be open to the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church; the sessions Youth Catechism YOUCAT (the Catechism of the Catholic Church for young people) and DOCAT (the social teachings of the Church for young people) will not only help us to gain knowledge but will also transform us. The true teachings of the Catholic Church will set us free from all the myths, personal ideologies and other false teachings", this is what Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, the Chairman of Episcopal Commission for Young People said while addressing the young people in Ayubia, during the National Youth Camp held in next weeks in the Northern Province of Pakistan.
This year the focus of the Youth Camp was to train young people, to help and facilitate them to conduct sessions on the YOUTH CATECHISM of the Catholic Church – YOUCAT and DOCAT. Around 56 Young people from six dioceses of Pakistan attended the live-in program. These workshops are a part of the Year of the Youth proclaimed in Pakistan from Nov.2019 to Nov.2020.
The Archbishop of Lahore, Mgr. Sebastian Shaw, said: "We are not like the Pharisees who harden their hearts to the teachings of Jesus Christ, we have to be like the poor fishermen who opened their hearts and we have to be ready to learn the truth, and I believe these teachings that the Church presents will strengthen our faith and help us live our faith". Then he added: "We believe in Jesus Christ, and we are proud of it. Do not hesitate to spread the teachings of the Church based on truth, the Word of God and the Magisterium of the Church".
Shaiz Anwar, one of the participants, speaking to Agenzia Fides, said: "This workshop has helped me and my young fellows to deepen their knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church, we realized that what we knew before was not enough". Moreover "he has also helped us to reflect on our personal lives, especially the sessions on human dignity and the teachings on our human body, revealed to me what our true value is".
Charmine Mukhtar, among the participants, shares these thoughts: "During this four-day program we saw the plan of creation and how God loves each one of us, the sessions strengthened my spirit, helped me to gain more confidence in talking about the my faith".
Ayyaz Gulzar, coordinator of "Jesus Youth" in Pakistan and member of the organizational team observes: "These workshops want to train young people to be resources in their respective dioceses, to conduct sessions according to YOUCAT and DOCAT. Young people learned about catechism, to share and express their ideas and learned and know about the teachings of the Church". Finally he underlines: "Young people are passionate and willing to live and share the teachings of the Church, for them it is a wonderful starting point to fully live their Catholic faith". (AG) (Agenzia Fides, 27/7/2019)


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