The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency Most Rev. Julien Kaboré, has urged young Catholics across West Africa to reject fear and hopelessness and embrace their responsibility to transform the Church and their societies.
Addressing participants at the first-ever West African Youth Day (WAYD) in Accra, Archbishop Kaboré said young people should not regard themselves as victims of the challenges confronting the region or as a generation waiting for its opportunity to make a difference.
“Do not lose hope. You are not a sacrificed generation. You are not a lost generation. You are not a generation without a future,” he said.
The Nuncio acknowledged that many young people were growing up amid uncertainty, insecurity, violence and anxiety about the future, but stressed that such challenges should not determine their identity or their role in society.
He said the Church recognised young people as active participants in its mission, stressing that their energy, talents, dreams and hopes were needed in the present. “In the Church, which is the family of God, the Holy Father calls you the today of God,” he said.
The gathering, organised by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA/CERAO), brings together young Catholics from the 16 countries of the West African region under the theme, “Take Courage, Catholic Youth, as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa.”
He challenged the participants to see WAYD not merely as a Catholic celebration but as an opportunity to discern how they could contribute meaningfully to the future of West Africa, saying the true impact of the gathering should extend beyond their return to their respective countries.
“My hope, my dream, is that, by the grace of God, what we are witnessing today will one day be remembered as the beginning of a moment when a generation of young West African Catholics rediscovered the courage of faith.”
Archbishop Kaboré expressed hope that the encounter would inspire vocations, encourage the youth to offer their gifts in service of the Church and foster lasting friendships across national and linguistic boundaries.
He urged the young people to build friendships rooted in virtue and faith, calling on them not to leave Ghana without creating meaningful bonds.
By: Daniel Orlando/newsalertgh.com
