Document final — Les jeunes

The religious experience of the young is strongly influenced by the social and cultural context in which they live. In some countries the Christian faith is a strong and lively community experience, in which the young participate with joy. In other areas of ancient Christian tradition, the majority of the Catholic population does not experience a real sense of belonging to the Church; yet there is no shortage of creative minorities and experiences that point to a revival of religious interest as a reaction against a reductive and suffocating vision. Whereas in other places, Catholics along with other Christian denominations form a minority that sometimes experiences discrimination or even persecution. Finally, there are places where sects or forms of alternative religiosity are on the rise; their followers frequently become disillusioned and averse to any form of religion. If in some regions the young have no opportunity to express their faith publicly or find their religious freedom is not recognized, in others they feel the weight of historic choices – including political ones – that have undermined the Church’s credibility. It is not possible to speak of the religiosity of the young without taking all these differences into account.