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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

March 8, 2010

WCR Letters to the Editor

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Didn't WYD '02 already raiose the Church from Ruins

So, according to Father Mark Goring of the Companions of the Cross, now is the time to reach out to our Catholic young people who are dying of spiritual thirst (WCR Feb. 15 "Rebuild the Temple! The Church lies in ruins").

The Church is losing youth because they perceive it as irrelevant or they are hostile toward Catholicism, he said.

Wait a minute! Didn't the Catholic bishops of Canada reach out to youth less than eight years ago at World Youth Day 2002, an event the bishops called "a huge success" despite its poor turnout and massive debt?

Why, if Goring is right, are Catholic young people dying of spiritual thirst at a time when the fruits of a "successful" WYD should be apparent in dioceses all across the country?

The Catholic faithful who dug into their pockets to help pay off the $38-million dollar debt know that WYD was a financial disaster - but a spiritual and pastoral disaster as well? Apparently so, if Goring is right and the Church "lies in ruins," is losing youth and its young people are dying of spiritual thirst.

If he's wrong, then surely the bishops of Canada can tell Catholics when they can expect a dividend from the multi-million dollar investment they made toward the Church's future through the "huge success" that was World Youth Day 2002.

Art Babych
Ottawa

Letters to the Editor

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