Cardinal Ravasi: young people ‘disconnected’ from their culture

January 31, 2013

At a January 31 press conference in Rome, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, observed that young people today are frequently “disconnected” from society, and attributed the problem to “the unbearable social, political, and religious complexities that we adults have created.”

The Church must recognize the concerns of young people, the cardinal said, noting that more than half of the people living today in the developing world are under the age of 25. Alluding to the signs of alienation among many young people in the developed countries—such as the constant use of earphones that block interaction with the outside world—the cardinal said that the Church must address the spiritual lives of young people “even if they are buried underneath those differences that, at first glance, cause such an striking impression."

“In a certain sense, they drop their gaze so as to exclude themselves because we have excluded them with our corruption and inconsistency, with uncertainty, unemployment, and marginalization,” the cardinal said. “We parents, teachers, and priests, the ruling class, we must examine our conscience.”

Cardinal Ravasi made these remarks as he announced plans for the plenary meeting of the Pontifical Council for Culture, which will be devoted to youth culture.

 

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Further information:

• Emerging Youth Cultures: Theme of Annual Plenary of Pontifical Council for Culture (VIS)