To prepare for next year’s international Synod on “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment,” the Holy Father wants online feedback from all youth and young adults, ages 16 to 29, from around the world, regardless of how active they are in the practice of the faith.

Youth and young adults, ages 16 to 29, are invited to go online and fill out the Vatican survey: https://survey-synod2018.glauco.it/limesur…/index.php/147718

The online survey is open until November 30, 2017.
The results of the online survey are part of the international listening process that will help Pope Francis and the world’s bishops better understand the realities, hopes, and concerns of youth and young adults in preparation for the 2018 Synod.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why did Pope Francis choose the theme “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment” for a synod?
As was the case for his predecessors, youth have been a key concern for Pope Francis since the beginning of his pontificate.

The Holy Father said the theme is an “expression of the Church’s pastoral concern for the young.” Also, the theme is a natural follow-up to the pope’s prior synod on the family and the pope’s post-synodal document Amoris Laetitia.

What is the goal of the synod planned for October, 2018?
The synod seeks to “accompany young people on their way of life towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life project and realize it with joy, opening the encounter with God and with men, and actively participating in the building up of the Church and society.”

How many vocational options are there?
The Catholic Church distinguishes four vocations: married life, single life, religious life, and ordained life.

What is the Pope’s Letter to Young People?
On January 13, 2017, Pope Francis wrote a letter to young people, saying the church wants “to listen to your voice, your sensitivities and your faith, even your doubts and your criticism.”

“Make your voice heard,” the pope told young people. “Let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls.”

The pope’s letter was released along with the preparatory document for the synod. The document includes a series of questions to be answered by national conferences of bishops and other church bodies. The responses, along with input from young people themselves, will form the basis of the synod’s working document. Read the letter here: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/13/pope_letter_to_young_people_for_synod_on_vocational_discernm/1285408

What is a Synod of Bishops?
The general purposes of a synod of bishops are: a) Promote a closer union and greater cooperation between the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops of the whole world; b) See to it that accurate and direct information is supplied on matters and situations that bear upon the internal life of the Church and upon the kind of action that should be carrying on in today’s world; c) Facilitate agreement, at least on essential matters of doctrine and on the course of action to be taken in the life of the Church.

“Even when the journey is uncertain and you fall, God, rich in mercy, will extend his hand to pick you up.” – Pope Francis in his letter to young people 1/13/2017