Christ is Alive! 

Pope Francis in April released his Post-Synodal Exhortation ‘Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive)’, following the Synod of Bishops in October 2018. The theme of the Synod was “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment”. Our very own Bishop Mark represented England and Wales alongside Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Bishop Ralph Heskett of the Diocese of Hallam (seen opposite at the Youth Synod).

Pope Francis wrote powerfully about the strength of young people within the church, here is just a small excerpt from the Exhortation, “CHRIST IS ALIVE! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way, he brings youth to our world. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive! He is in you, he is with you and he never abandons you. However far you may wander, he is always there, the Risen One. He calls you and he waits for you to return to him and start over again. When you feel you are growing old out of sorrow, resentment or fear, doubt or failure, he will always be there to restore your strength and your hope.”

The Bishop conference welcomed the publication of ‘Christus Vivit’, “What a joy it is to receive this Post-Synodal Exhortation‘Christ is Alive’. Reading it brings back all the best features of the Synod of Bishops we attended last October: the vitality of young people; their love for the Church and for us Bishops; their willingness to face the difficult challenges before us; their capacity for prayer and a living, loving relationship with Jesus. We thank Pope Francis so warmly for this remarkable document which will now be poured over by many young people and brought to bear on their lives.”

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