The Church's mission to youth is multifaceted, aiming to foster their spiritual, human, and social development, recognizing them as both recipients of pastoral care and active agents in the Church's mission 1. This mission is rooted in Christ's special love for the young and seeks to offer them the Gospel as a joyful and liberating truth 2, 1.

Spiritual and Human Formation

The Church is committed to the comprehensive formation of young people, helping them grow "in wisdom, age and grace before God and people" (Lk 2:52) 2, 3. This involves:

• Proclaiming Jesus Christ: The Church tirelessly proclaims Jesus Christ and His Gospel as the unique and satisfying response to the deepest aspirations of young people, inviting them to discipleship and participation in His mission 2.
• Sacramental Life: Providing a solid sacramental life is crucial, especially through the Eucharist, which transmits the life of Christ, and Penance, which connects them with the compassionate and forgiving Christ 3, 4. These sacraments help young people become aware of God's love, learn to live in truth, and find strength against sin 3.
• Spiritual Guidance: Offering spiritual direction by skilled priests, consecrated persons, and lay people helps young people review their lives under God's eyes, discern His presence, and do His will, leading to profound freedom 5. This guidance assists them in overcoming inner struggles, analyzing their conduct, making decisions based on values, and deepening their relationship with Christ 5.
• Moral Education: The Church educates young people in an emotional life built on sound human and moral values, preparing them for lifelong commitments such as marriage, priesthood, or consecrated life 5, 6. This includes communicating the meaning and value of human sexuality 5.
• Combating Negative Influences: The Church helps young people resist the enticements of a culture that often proposes superficial or anti-Gospel values, enabling them to demonstrate a Christian approach to all aspects of life, including entertainment and leisure 7. It also addresses anxieties, deceptions, anguishes, fears, and temptations prevalent in their state of life 2.

Integration and Participation in the Church

Young people are not merely objects of pastoral care but are also called to be "agents and co-workers in the Church's mission" 1. The Church's mission includes:

• Active Involvement: Inviting young men and women to take part in organizing activities that concern them, giving them a share of responsibility not only within their age groups but also in local communities 5, 1. This helps them feel like an active part of the whole Church, participating in prayer, Sunday Mass, sacramental life, and living charity 5.
• Mutual Dialogue: Fostering a mutual dialogue between the Church and youth, characterized by cordiality, clarity, and courage, creates a favorable setting for intergenerational exchange, enriching both the Church and civil society 2.
• Missionary Consciousness: Training young Christians to have a mature missionary consciousness so they can become apostles to their contemporaries 6. Their freshness, enthusiasm, spirit of solidarity, and hope can make them peacemakers in a divided world 1.
• Community Building: Developing projects that strengthen young people, accompany them, and impel them to encounter others, engage in generous service, and participate in mission, rather than isolating them 8.

Addressing Contemporary Challenges

The Church recognizes the complex problems young people face in a changing world, such as unemployment, lack of future prospects, withdrawal, violence, and the privatization of faith 6, 3. In response, the Church:

• Provides Support: Offers support to help young people cope with social pressures, providing career guidance, vocational training, and youth counseling 1.
• Encourages Resilience: Equips young people to face serenely the successes, failures, and aspirations of life by transmitting the life-giving message of Christ 4.
• Promotes Dialogue: Seeks to engage young people in dialogue wherever they are found—in schools, universities, workplaces, and rural areas—with appropriate adaptations to their inclinations 6.

In essence, the Church's mission to youth is to accompany them in their journey of growth, helping them encounter the living Christ, discern their personal vocation, and actively contribute to the Church's life and mission, thereby building a civilization of love 5, 6, 9.