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Cardinal Cormac tells young people: 'each one of you is a disciple'


LONDON - first posted 1 April 2003 - 394 words

"Each one of you is a disciple" Cardinal Cormac told a group of young people at Westminster Cathedral last week. Around 400 people attended the second Young Adults Lenten gathering - a mix of prayer, music and discussion.

The theme of the evening was 'the Church' . The Cardinal gave a reflection on Acts 2:42-47, which describes the early Church - which 'owned everything in common- 'shared their food gladly and generously' prayed together and celebrated the Eucharist daily. 'Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.'

Describing an encounter with two street children in Brazil, in which they sat around a table and shared some food, the Cardinal said that although the boys were poor they seemed very happy. He sometimes felt that people in the rich developed world had lost their sense of joy.

Religion is not just about going through the motions - he said: "We can express our Christian faith more through our lives than in our words."

Discussions followed on 'our hopes and fears for the church'. Many people said they saw their parish community as a family and source of comfort and support - where they could pray with others. They also said they were aware of being part of a global church. One group said they felt most growth in the church was coming from the new movements such as Youth 2000, Donum Dei, and other initiatives. Several people expressed fears that the church was becoming too institutionalised and inward-looking. Some said they were concerned about the perceived lack of accountability among the clergy. One group said they felt British society was in 'meltdown' with the breakdown of family and a strong anti-Christian bias in the media and the lack young people in church.

Responding to this. one person suggested everyone read CS Lewis 'Mere Christianity'. Then a young woman stood up and said: "We shouldn't fear. We shouldn't reduce things to numbers. We need to look at the big picture and see that there are many young people in our church globally. God is good. God is always with us."

The final Young Adults Lenten gathering with the Cardinal takes place tomorrow evening at 7pm. The Cardinal said there will be more opportunities for prayer and discussion and he will be talking about his plan for the diocese.


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