Getting closer to the heart of the young, among the challenges and objectives of the Catholic Church in Poland.

Newsroom (04/01/2021 10:00 AM, Gaudium Press) For the new year 2022, the Church in Poland has a clear and urgent goal: to be closer to young people.

The secretary-general of the Polish bishops’ conference, Bishop Artur Mizinski, believes that improving communication between the Church and young people is a challenge but, also, it is an urgent necessity.

“It is urgent to seek and present new ways to reach young people with the message of the Gospel,” he explained. He further stated that the Church in Poland will use technology to close the gap.

Bishop Mizinski, auxiliary Bishop of Lublin in the east of the country, is concerned about the increasing secularisation among the Polish youth.

Out of Poland’s 38 million inhabitants, 92% are Catholic, and 36.9% attend Mass regularly.

However, a March 2021 document entitled “The Church in Poland” reports that, over the last 30 years, religious practice among young people has plummeted by 50%, impacting the number of new candidates to the Priesthood. Last October 2021, for instance, seminaries received 20% fewer applications than in 2020.

Bishop Mizinski informed that formation and pastoral care for young people are one of the Polish Church’s top priorities for 2022, helping the needy and paying close attention to the synodal process. (FM)

Compiled by Gustavo Kralj