Faith and politics: Formation for young people with a passion for the common good
The eighth session of the workshop “Faith and Politics”: (held every two years, since 2006, and interrupted only by the Covid Pandemic), was held in Venice from 14 to 21 August. It was organised by a team of Jesuits and lay people from all over Europe (under the patronage of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials) and addressed to young people from all over Europe aged 20 to 35. There were 16 participants, from Albania, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Sweden.
The training team consisted of:
- Fr. Peter Rozic (Slovenia)
- Fr. Edmond Grace (Ireland)
- Fr. Giuseppe Riggio
- Fr. Luciano Larivera
- Fr. Cesare Sposetti
- Sc. Louis Tonneau (Belgium)
- Kevin Hargaden (Ireland)
The workshop is an experience where young people are invited to review their own experiences of political and social engagement, and includes moments of reflection and prayer, based on input from Ignatian spirituality, with special focus on the discernment of spirits. Formation sessions are offered by team members and include testimonies given by external speakers involved in politics or social work. This year the speakers included Rosario Farmhouse, from Portugal, President of the National Commission for the Rights of Children and Young People; Katrine Camilleri, Director of JRS Malta; and Peadern Tobin, Member of the Irish Parliament. Moments of sharing and exchange and a visit to Venice were included in the programme.
“The fundamental objectives of the programme,” Fr Cesare Sposetti SJ of the formation team explains, “are:
– to help young people reflect on their personal history and their vocation to social and political commitment,
– help them to experience how their dimension of Faith and relationship with the Lord is fully involved in their service,
to train them to seek constantly and selflessly the common good and to recognise and pursue the best for themselves and for the communities they are and will be called to serve.
Many current European issues, such as the war in Ukraine, the environmental crisis, the advance of nationalism and populism, etc., were obviously part of the discussion, but the main, and predominant objective was the same as always: to train young people who are passionate about the cause of the common good, to be able to discern the common good in the various contexts of their own lives and commitment, and who are able to devote themselves to it with all their being.
