The EY Generate Youth Survey, which included a section on religious values, and a report of which was published in the Times of Malta (November 28), provides some food for thought. It is very important for the Church to take note of it. The millennials and the Gen-Zs are the present and the future of the Maltese.

One thing that immediately catches the eye is that 50 per cent of youth believe in God but not in organised religion. Of the others, some do not believe in God and some are not sure.

The statement as it stands is quite clear but I would have still sought further clarifications. For instance, I would have liked to find out what those interviewed mean when they say they believe in God and how their faith impacts their life.

At one end of a continuum they could simply believe there’s some­one above; at the other end it could mean their belief has an impact on their lives. The fact that a big number said “belief in God gave their life a sense of direction” is encouraging and could be a good point of departure.

Fr Paul Galea mentioned the possibility that what youth are living now is typical of the young and that “perhaps they might come back to roost when they get older and wiser”. This could have been the case in the past but, in our age and time, I doubt whether this would happen for most. Secularism, which in the West after the war began to gain momentum, has reached us in Malta too and is becoming ingrained in society.

The question of faith counterbalances the concern that youth have about the financial situation and other ‘here and now’ issues. It seems that, stoically, our youth have resigned themselves to “this is all there is, so let’s enjoy it as much as we can”. As Fr Galea rightly comments: “This could reveal an existential vacuum”.

In the light of all this, the Church should not match the resignation about life that many are living with a resignation of its own. In other words, the Church needs to reflect deeply on the situation to come up with the proper response.

The Church needs to examine its method of evangelisation to find out why its message is not being received by youth, and be creative in finding more efficacious ways. Perhaps identifying living Christianity with reception of the sacraments is not very helpful. This worked in the past but our youth believe in concrete things and find it difficult to see beyond the sign.

The Church needs to examine its method of evangelisation to find out why its message is not being received by youth, and be creative in finding more efficacious ways

Sometimes the Church has the tendency to emphasise secondary issues: strict orthodoxy, the precise words and language to use in the liturgy, devotions. All these are important but not the most important.

Pope Francis has understood what is needed in the Church. He teaches mercy, forgiveness, attention to the weakest, charity, justice, solidarity – a Church that is evangelical, reflecting the outgoingness of Christ towards sinners, the poor and the sick.

Parents could also help. Many suffer seeing their children abandoning the faith that is so dear to them. It would help if, transmitting the faith to their offsprings, they insist more on Christian values than on devotions.

 

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