The Filipino Catholic Youth

Pope Paul VI called Asia the continent of the young. Of the 105 million Catholics in Asia, 69 million are Filipinos, majority of them belong to the youth sector. As a consequence of this, the Church has given the young people of the Philippines the special duty of proclaiming Jesus Christ and His Gospel to the rest of Asia and to the world.

The Filipino Catholic Youth

Sadly, while we boast of having the largest Catholic population in Asia, recent studies about the lifestyle of the Filipino youth indicate that only about a third of them take their Catholic faith seriously.

WHAT FACTORS HINDER THE YOUTH FROM HAVING MEANINGFUL FAITH EXPERIENCES?

GENERATION GAP Adults always criticize the young and their preferences, unmindful that the lifestyle of young people in every generation is always different. This makes the young people antagonistic towards the traditions, including those concerning faith and religion.

MENTAL LAZINESS In a world of modern technology, the young enjoy multi-sensory learning. However, it seems like spoon-feeding discourages critical thinking. Mental laziness prevents young people from doing serious study and reflection on life and faith.

APATHY TOWARDS TRADITIONS The young people are tired of stereotype teachings which are often outdated and alien to changing times. Their fascination for novelty could lead them into thinking that the Bible and Church teachings are obsolete and irrelevant.

PLEASURE-BASED LIFESTYLE The young people are in search for true happiness. The modern world says such thing does not exist. The youth are conditioned to believe in the lie that only those that give pleasure to the senses can make man happy.