French Bishops Publish Letter Urging Young Catholics to Reject Violence
In a letter published by the Conference of Bishops of France, young Catholics are invited to respond to the concerns troubling young people without resorting to violence, relying on prayer and commitment.
The Conference of Bishops of France has published a "Letter to Young Catholics of France" at a time when many high school and university students are voicing their concerns and expectations about their future. In it, the bishops call on young believers to take their place in society, to seek the truth and to bear witness to their faith with joy, never giving in to violence.
The text recalls that three weeks ago, young Catholics gathered at the Stade de France around Pope Leo XIV for a joyful and fervent evening of prayer. A few days later, a large protest movement began across the country, first among high school students and then among university students. For the bishops, beyond the demands expressed, this movement reflects a search for meaning and a deep anxiety in the face of the changes in today's world and the lack of satisfactory future prospects for many young people.
The letter acknowledges the legitimate and authorized nature of the demonstrations, while deploring that they were accompanied by violence, property damage, looting and clashes. Such excesses, the bishops write, have left great bitterness among all those who believe in peace.
The bishops take up the words of Pope Leo XIV spoken at the Stade de France: "You are the saints of France." The Supreme Pontiff had invited young people to become "the actors of a history that moves from confusion to the search for truth." To accomplish this mission, he proposed three verbs that, in his view, call upon freedom: avoid, strive and fight.
To avoid means to renounce "pride, violence, greed." To strive means to aim for "justice toward humanity," "piety and faith toward God," "charity toward all," "patience toward those who make us suffer" and "the gentleness" of those who seek peace with a pure heart. Finally, to fight means to commit oneself to what one believes is just, but always as a Christian: "Our fight is not a fight against others; it does not use the weapons of violence, contempt or oppression. Our only weapon is that of self-giving love."
In practical terms, the bishops leave it to each young person to find their own answer as to how to act as a Christian today. They recall that France is a democracy in which it is possible to get involved and express one's ideas. They therefore invite everyone to take time for prayer, then to reflect and share, alone or in a team, within a chaplaincy, a prayer group or an association, in order to discern where the Lord is calling each one.
Finally, the letter stresses the communal dimension of this journey: "we are not alone on this path of holiness," for it is travelled in union with the brothers and sisters who surround believers, and with the saints who sustain them in trials. It concludes with a message of encouragement signed by Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault, bishop responsible for youth pastoral care, and Father Christophe Danset, national delegate for that same pastoral care.
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