Integral Youth Formation: A Necessity for the Church in Africa
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Date
2011-12
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Tangaza University College/Duquesne University
Abstract
The world and all that exists within it experience their own challenges. These
challenges are part and parcel of growth. The world population as stated by CNN Tech
stands at seven billion and 1.2 billion of the population are youths. The challenges facing
the youth of today do not have much difference from one part of the world to another.
My thesis is based on the problems facing the youth in Africa and the
consequences on the Catholic Church in Africa. If the Church does not wake up to her
responsibility of providing an integral formation for the youths then the future will not be
promising. The youths of the 21
st
Century are faced with problems such as:
unemployment, lack of self awareness and self actualization, uncertainty and emotional
anxieties, alcohol and drug abuse, pre-marital sexual acts, sexually transmitted diseases,
exploitation from the adults, secularism, youth violence, lack of formal and informal
education etc.
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The Church has been an agent of the spiritual formation of the people of
God for centuries and the youth have benefited from this formation, but the whole idea of
spiritual formation will be less effective if human, intellectual and pastoral elements of
formation are not properly integrated in the lives of the youth, especially in Africa. As the
Church encourages an ongoing formation for priests likewise I believe it is necessary for
the youth to be given a formation that is general and integral. This involves a process of constant growth, deepening each of the aspects of formation i.e. human, spiritual,
intellectual and pastoral.
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The Church does not only show love to those who are afflicted by human miseries
but also seeks the growth of every human person. She nurtures and brings about
development in the lives of her faithful.
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I believe that an integral formation of the youth
will not only spur transformation in the youth themselves but also in the society and in the
Church. This transformation will lead them to become better citizens, men and women of
integrity, people who live their vocation to the fullest, good leaders in the society and good
Christians. The integrated formation of the social, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral
aspects in the life of the youth will be of benefit to the Church in Africa.
The conception “youth” means different things to different people in accordance to
their experience with the youth. Some consider them rebels, others revolutionary, others
consider them the conscience of the society, others see them as cheats, e.tc. Most times
they are forgotten by the adults because they are considered still far from realising
themselves. Pope Benedict sees them as those who yearn for happiness: “In every period
of history, including our own, many young people experience a deep desire for personal
relationships marked by truth and solidarity. Many of them yearn to build authentic
friendships, to know true love, to start a family that will remain united, to achieve personal
fulfilment and real security, all of which are the guarantee of a serene and happy future.”
The challenges faced by the youth of today are challenges that either break them or
make them. This moment in their life is a time of questioning, of searching, of falling in and out of love, of being rebellious, of fighting for justce. If all these challenges are
addressed and properly taken care of, then the future is bright.
The first part of this thesis has the information about my insertion experiences in
Mother Bertilla Training School and among the members of the vocation group belonging
to the congregation of the Daughters of St Paul. It also covers the socio-cultural analysis
and pastoral concerns of these two places with the pastoral agents present there. My
objective in doing this study, the problem that motivated my preference of this study, the
significance of this thesis and scope within which I carried out my practicum experience
are clearly in the first chapter.
In the second chapter I presented a logical flow of realities concerning the theme of
the thesis. With the aid of different available materials I have presented the theological and
pastoral principles of the integral formation of young people in the scripture and the
Church teachings.
The third chapter presents the theological reflection supporting the theme of this
thesis. Since the theme of the thesis is about the integral formation of the young people,
the theological reflection is based on the sound teachings of the Church and its connection
to the Christian calling to holiness. This calling includes the prophetic role of the young
people in the Church and the Church’s role in their lives as God’s children. It also
elaborates the benefit of the integral formation of the youth to the growing Church of
Africa. The final chapter of the thesis is about the recommendations and pastoral plan for
action, with the summary of my findings, pastoral conclusions, pastoral recommendations
and pastoral plan for required action in view of the problems or deficiencies observed. The integral formation of the young people in the Church is a necessity that not
only prepares the youth for the future but also it fulfils the mission of the Church to
nurture every member of Christ’s body, which is every member of the Church.
The recognition of the importance of today’s young people along with their vitality
is a benefit of the Church in Africa. Pope John Paul II, calls our attention to this fact by
saying: The Church needs to recognize the positive impact the young people have on her.
She is to make use of their active and joyful spirit in energizing the Church in Africa.
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Keywords
Youth Formation, Church, Africa