Monday, March 17, 2008 Youth urged: Search for the truth
“THIS Holy Week, have the courage to stand up and voice out for and because of the truth, as children of God and members of the church.”
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal raised this new challenge yesterday to the hundreds of young participants coming from the different parishes, following last Saturday night’s dialogue with the youth.
In a Palm Sunday mass at Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, the prelate challenged the youth: “You still have young minds and feelings. Yet it is possible and even better that you will express them.”
“As young citizens, it is also possible that you can contribute your knowledge to the solution of the nation’s problems, which are created by adults,” he said, without making any reference to a particular issue.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), of which Cardinal Vidal is a member, has called for communal action, among others, in the search for truth in the midst of corruption allegations in the national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal.
“I hope that you will unite in prayer, in worship, and in thanksgiving to God every day because without Him, we cannot do anything true and upright. Living a Christian life is equal to helping, understanding, caring for each other. As baptized Christian youths, it is your task to witness and to spread your faith in God in the midst of life’s trials,” Cardinal Vidal said in Cebuano.
“Will you accept this challenge?” asked the archbishop. He received a resounding affirmation from the crowd.
After the mass, the prelate explained to reporters that adults should take care and guide well the youth and pave their way toward becoming future leaders of the country.
“If we are not careful, if the youth are misguided, they can cause terrible upheaval in the country,” warned Vidal.
He recalled his recent dialogue with the youth participants who asked about spiritual, political, and environmental matters. He saw the need to reassure them to join activities through which they will be able to express their response to the invitation of Christ.
Cardinal Vidal is also anxious about how much concern the youths are expressing on politics.
“It seems that the corruption they see is coming from our leaders today. That’s something because they are already perceiving that there is a connection between corruption and leadership,” he said.
This prompted him to encourage them to follow in the footsteps of Christ, because “following Him will be an assurance of the future of our young people.” (NRC)
