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Mar10

Pope Francis’ popularity with young Catholics clear, but previous popes’ styles offer lessons for the young, too

posted by Creator Mundi

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By Katherine Talalas
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The producers of Canada’s Catholic TV channel, Salt + Light, visited The Catholic University of America Feb. 27 with a special message for youth and young adult leaders. While Pope Francis has been extraordinarily popular among millennials, past popes also have lessons to share — and their example can help win young souls for Christ.

Basilian Father Thomas M. Rosica, CEO of Salt + Light, and producers Sebastian Gomes and Cheridan Sanders spoke to a group of students on “The Significance of Messages and Contributions of John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis to Youth/Young Adult Ministry.”

Each speaker shared four lessons that youth and young adult ministers could take from each pope.

Blessed John XXIII (CNS photo)

Gomes spoke about Blessed John XXIII, whom many compare to Pope Francis. Born into poverty, he had great compassion for the poor. Most of all, “he sought to be like the saints and care for souls,” Gomes said.

Four lessons from Blessed John XXIII:

1. He showed young Catholics the value of slowly progressing in holiness. Blessed John XXIII’s diary, “Journey of a Soul,” documents his daily struggles with pride, gossip, and failure in his prayer life. Said Gomes, “a lot of people are searching, and we give them this idea that Christianity is a light-bulb moment.” Blessed John reminds us that faith is a journey, and that individuals can gradually grow into holiness.

2. He was devoted to dialogue and reconciliation with people of diverse backgrounds and faiths. While serving as an apostolic delegate representing the church in several non-Catholic countries, Blessed John XXIII encountered beliefs and traditions that (Read More)

Source: http://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/pope-francis-popularity-with-young-catholics-clear-but-previous-popes-styles-offer-lessons-for-the-young-too/