The Church is committed to the promotion of social, economic and political life marked by justice, solidarity and peace, which is something the young ask for insistently. This requires the courage to be a voice for the voiceless in addressing world leaders, by denouncing corruption, wars, the arms trade, drug trafficking and exploitation of natural resources, and by calling those responsible for it to conversion. As part of the larger picture, this cannot be separated from the commitment to include those who are weakest, building pathways that allow them not only to find an answer to their own needs, but also to make their contribution to building up society.
Aware that “workis a fundamental dimension of man’s existence on earth” (Saint John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 4) and that the lack of work is humiliating for many young people, the Synod recommends that local Churches help and accompany young people as they take their place in this world, perhaps through the support of young business initiatives. Experiences of this kind are found in many local Churches and should be supported and strengthened.
The promotion of justice also affects the management of the Church’s goods. The young feel at home in a Church where economics and finance are lived transparently and consistently. Courageous choices are needed in the area of sustainability, as indicated by the encyclical Laudato Si’, inasmuch as a lack of respect for the environment generates new forms of poverty, of which the young are the first victims. Systems are changing, and this shows us that a different way of living the economic and financial dimension is possible. The young urge the Church to be prophetic in this field, through her words but above all through choices which show that financial management can be both person-friendly and environmentally friendly. Together with them we can do it.
As far as ecological matters are concerned, it is important to offer guidelines for concrete implementation of Laudato Si’ in ecclesial praxis. Several interventions underlined the importance of offering young people formation in socio-political engagement and the resource that the Church’s social teaching represents in this regard. Young people who take part in politics should be supported and encouraged to work for a real change of unjust social structures.