Church ready to meet Africa’s young people where they are, say AMECEA Bishops

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.

Speaking at an AMECEA media briefing in Nairobi, monitored by Vatican News, Bishop Kimani said the 21st AMECEA Plenary currently happening in Kenya has come at the right time.

Synodal discussions

Bishop Kimani was confident that Africa’s Bishops, together with the youth delegations attending the plenary assembly and engaging in a synodal manner, would come up with satisfactory pastoral resolutions.

“Africa’s youth are re-energised in terms of faith,” and in terms of issues that have to do with their future. The Church in the AMECEA region, Bishop Kimani said, should welcome this pastoral opportunity to dialogue with the young people not only during the plenary assembly but even afterwards.

Some of the youth representatives at the AMECEA Plenary Assembly

An enlightened generation

Bishop Kimani said the Church in the region had decided to engage with the youth because they are the present and the future. “When we look at the youth agitation that has happened, for example, here in Kenya, we see that the youth are not aloof to what is happening around them,” the Kenyan prelate said.

Kenya’s youth-led “Gen Z” agitation and uprising completely took Kenyans by surprise and shook the political establishment. Starting in June 2024, the country’s leadership found itself dealing with non-violent demonstrations that erupted across the nation. It was a highly organised movement mostly coordinated through the use of platforms such as X, TikTok, and Instagram.

“The youth are knowledgeable; they have a keen awareness of what is happening. At the same time, we also see their fears, the worries and the doubts about themselves, the uncertainties about the future, eroding trust in institutions such as governments and the church …. The challenges are many. Even in families, the young people are struggling to find their place. In this plenary and in preparations leading to it, the youth have expressed themselves clearly. They have spoken. As Bishops, we have listened to them,” said Bishop Kimani.

A four-year pastoral plan

After listening to the young people of the AMECEA region, the Bishops say they are considering a four-year pastoral priority roll-out dedicated to matters concerning the youth. The plan will contain action programmes that touch on genuine youth inclusion in the life and mission of the Church; review of some of the structures in AMECEA with the view to institutionalising regional youth representation and participation as well as strengthening Catholic chaplaincies in member countries of AMECEA. Other areas that need serious attention are issues related to mental health awareness among young people. AMECEA is pledging to prioritise youth formation and create mentorship programmes meant to guide young people through economic challenges.

The youth of the AMECEA

Youth in digital spaces

“The young people are part of the Church. We are going to reach out to them, including in the digital spaces where many of them are,” Bishop Kimani said.

Among other things, youth delegates at the AMECEA Plenary have asked for the approval to establish online Small Christian Communities, training as digital missionaries and formation courses that respond to the challenge of youth unemployment in a digital world.

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“As we bring the young people closer to us, we need to collaborate with them, to work together with them, to listen to one another and be able to move as one in order to make the Church better, to create caring communities but also to give young persons the hope and guidance that they need so that they inherit credible institutions and leadership styles that serve the people and are focused on principles of Catholic Social Teaching,” Bishop Kimani told media.