Church needs to do practical things for young people.

Paul Samasumo – Vatican city

Cameroon’s Bishop of Mamfe Diocese, Andrew Nkea says Africa’s young people face serious challenges that call for urgent and tangible solutions.

The Church needs to be involved in the lives of young people

“One of the biggest problems we have in the African Church with our young people is that most of them are unemployed; they see the natural resources of their countries being carried away to other places and they can’t have a share in it; they are frustrated because of the wars, the instability and lack of good governance. In such a case, the Church should insist more on the social participation of the Church in development programmes,” Bishop Nkea said.  

The Bishop said the Church cannot simply walk away leaving everything to governments.

The youth may be leaders of tomorrow but we are together with them in the Church, now.

“Jesus told his disciples, ‘give them something to eat yourselves.’ This is the situation we find ourselves in Africa. We can’t just say they (youth) are too many and governments are not working, there is no employment. We should start doing something for them ourselves,” Bishop Nkea told Vatican News.  

Bishop Nkea said he has particularly been touched by the Synod Fathers’ strong recognition that the youth are not the future of the Church.

“The youth are part of the Church now. We are together in the Church, now. They (youth) may be leaders tomorrow but the youth are in the Church now,” he emphasised.