The third session of the Symposium on young people taking place in Barcelona (28-31 March) tackled the theme of Evangelisation and focussed on the sharing of experiences and good practice in the spiritual accompaniment of young people to respond freely to Christ’s call.
Accompanying to evangelise

Cardinal Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, began the session with a reflection entitled ‘Evangelisation and good examples of accompaniment’. In his address he stated that “to accompany is the same as to lead the person into the most profound depths of their own being, to discover the presence of a call to truth, the keystone to achieving freedom, which enables us to go beyond ourselves in order to entrust ourselves completely to a mysterious plan of God which brings meaning and significance to personal existence”. Vocations are not based on the qualities one possesses, in fact, it is the contrary: the correspondence to vocation lies in giving value and support to what is already there. To help to discover the primacy of God in our lives and the power of his grace are the means by which we are able to contribute consciously to guiding our existence.

Exhibition of good practice

After the break, in one of the cloisters of the meeting-place, there was an exhibition accompanying initiatives undertaken in Europe by youth movements, religious congregations and dioceses and aimed at encouraging the exchange of proposals and suggestions. This exhibition of good practice was organised according to a dual criteria: to be constructive in the accompaniment of young people and to allow them to be repeated in other socio-cultural contexts in the European environment.

Subsequently, some small group work took place, looking towards the Synod on young people which will take place in Rome in October 2018. Participants in the working groups expressed a series of proposals for the Synod. Lunch enabled the exchange of ideas to continue, since the tables were organised on the basis of sector interests (young people, catechesis, university, vocations and teaching).

Sagrada Familia: beauty, art, architecture and liturgy

The afternoon session was held at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, the city of Barcelona’s great religious work realised by the architect Antonio Gaudí, still unfinished although open for worship since 7 November 2010, the date of its consecration by Benedict XVI. In this context, there was a round table discusssion with the participation of Fr Michel Remery, researcher in the Department of Liturgy and Architecture in the School of Catholic Theology in the University of Tilburg; Armand Puig i Tàrrech, Rector of the University Athenaeum Sant Pacià in Barcelona; and Etsuro Sotoo, sculptor of Gaudí’s work.

In his intervention, Fr Michel Remery spoke about the accompaniment of young people through art and architecture and liturgy. “Beauty”, said Fr Michel Remery, “art and architecture, including liturgy, speak a powerful language which can be understood without the need for further explanations. They speak for themselves: they are there to be experienced, and, therefore, to help people to journey along the path towards God”.

After the academic session, a tour of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia was organised, ending at 7.30 p.m. with the celebration of Mass, with Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and CCEE President, as the main celebrant.
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Information for the media

Media Office: located in the Pere Tarres room in the Seminary.

Briefing. Friday 30 March at 1100, a briefing with Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of CCEE