by Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan S.J.
Francis is a pastoral and charismatic pope. He loves to speak off-the-cuff rather than following the prepared speech when he wants to communicate a point that matters more to him. On top of that, he speaks from his heart, often accentuated with rich facial expressions.
When Pope Francis spoke to more than one million young people at the “Welcoming Ceremony” of the World Youth Day Lisbon, he departed from his prepared script once again. His eyes were tightly closed. His cheeks were pulled toward the center while he uttered out with strength, “Todos, todos, todos.”
What he wanted to underline for the participating youth was that every one of them was important to God. No one could ever deny that piece of fact to them. It does not matter who they are, what their ethnic or social background is, what orientations do they possess, or how much a success or failure they might be in the eyes of others or even themselves. Everyone has a place in God’s Church. For our Church should be a manifestation of God’s unconditional love in the world. In a nutshell, God loves each one of them for who they are, not for what they should be. Because it is through the love of God that they are created, nourished, and redeemed.
This may begin to sound a bit cliché. But should our young people take the message to heart, they will be liberated from the dismissing forces that devalue them, instilling a deep sense of worthlessness in them. And, not just the young ones but we, the not-so-young ones, can also become victims of these debilitating forces.
Sadly, these forces exist not only in the secular world but also in our Church. It has been exercised by some who are in power or serving from a higher elevation, with the intention of preserving what they believe is important. However, not all of them are carried out with malicious intentions. In fact, many of them are good people with the best intentions in their hearts. They believe they are preserving and protecting what are of greatest value of the Church in their own consciousness.
However, what was of greatest value in the past might not be so in the present or the future. What is of primary importance is to recognize the graces of the past, the blessings of the present, and the promises for the future. All these reflect the will of God in different space and time. While the Holy Spirit is the Spirit not just of the past, but the present and the future. The Spirit moving the Church through our history is both consistent and organic. Consistent means we can recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit through the holy ‘Tradition’ of the Church. But also organic through her continual discernment for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which should keep her youthful and relevant to this ever-changing world.
Our young people are not only of the future but very much relevant for the present. Although this does not mean they are infallible or the Church must follow every appeal coming from them, we must listen, empower, accompany and discern with them. The power of our young people as they come together is truly incredible and hope-filled, if they also learn to listen deeply to one another, respect the plurality among them, and unite for the better under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit speaks through the holy Tradition of the Church, and prompts them to address issues with their refreshing creativity.
My recent European trip taught me that having well-thought-out plans are helpful. But not to become fixated on them, which can be overly focused, stressful and exhausting. Going with the flow of the positive spirit can bring us to a wider horizon, pleasant surprises and outcomes that we may not anticipate. Indeed, God is a God of many surprises!
Recalling the unimaginable life force and the power of young people coming together in all the World Youth Days, these were not tentative euphoric responses but the work of the Spirit among youthful human chemistry. So, my dear young people, believe and run with it. You are the present and the future of the Church and the world. Todos, todos, todos! Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
+ Stephen Chow, SJ
