Bishop impressed by youth interest in synod

Bishop Leahy struck by “youthful honesty and passion” in Limerick

Bishop Brendan Leahy has said that he has been struck by the impressive level of genuine interest shown by young people in contributing to the diocesan synod in Limerick. Bishop Leahy said he was greatly encouraged by the engagement to date of teenagers when it came to offering feedback on how they see the Church of the future.

He said he believed that “youthful honesty and passion” will inject “great confidence and momentum into the synod”.

“It has been especially heartening for me to speak about the synod in recent weeks with groups of remarkable teenagers from around the diocese,” he said.

“It has convinced me even more that the ‘young Church’ in our diocese will offer a vital contribution to our synod. Young people care about the Church and that’s the message very much coming across. Our task now is to harness those opinions and put them into the mix with all others so that we have a very clear pathway forward.”

Bishop Leahy said thousands of young people from across the diocese will put forward their opinions over the coming months with regard to the issues they would like to see addressed at the synod, which takes place in April next year.

Referring to a recent meeting with young people the bishop said one of the suggestions “very much coming across was the role that the Catholic Church can play locally and globally in the area of mental health and providing supports for young people for what can be a stressful and pressurised stage of life”.

“There was also much conversation about women in the Church and how they can have a greater role going forward and that is, indeed, something we want to achieve in the diocese.”