7th Asian Youth Days, 2017

7th Asian Youth Days (AYD) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2017 Ambassadors of a Worldwide Brotherhood from Indonesia and Timor Leste participated in the Asian Youth Days in the summer of 2017. The event took place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Brother Henrique Marques CMM from Timor Leste, group leader of the Timor Leste participants, wrote an extensive report, of which an English summary is given here.

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7th Asian Youth Days (AYD) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2017

Ambassadors WWB from Timor Leste

The Asian Youth Days (AYD) are organised every three years, just like the World Youth Days. 22 countries from the ASEAN region participate. The whole happening consists of 3 major events, namely the preparatory Days in the Dioceses, the main Asian Youth Days, and the Asian Youth Minister Meeting (AYMM).

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Days in the Dioceses (DID) The Days in the Dioceses were from 30 July to 2 August 2017. The AYD participants were housed with host families in various dioceses of Indonesia, the host country. Various activities were organized, such as Eucharist celebrations, communal prayer, and festivals. It was a gathering of young people in the midst of religious life, and for these youngsters it was an enrichment to meet their brothers and sisters from other countries and to get to know each other's cultural background.

Asian Youth days (AYD) 2017 This event took place from 2 to 6 August 2017 in Yogyakarta. Here, the participants all came together for the main events. After an opening ceremony there were various activities such as sharings, reflection, festivals, celebrations of the Eucharist, worship, prayer services, etc.

Asian Youth Minister Meeting (AYMM) The AYMM lasted 3 days and is meant for youth workers in the Catholic Church of Asian countries. Participants are bishops, priests and lay people involved in the National Youth Commission. In this meeting, the AYD has been evaluated and also the direction of Catholic youth work in Asia was discussed.

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History of AYD The Asian Youth Days were held 6 times earlier, in different countries. The first AYD took place in 1999 in Thailand on the theme “Asian Youth Journeying with Jesus Towards the Third Millenium.” The second AYD in 2001 was held in Taiwan under the motto “We are called to Sanctity and Solidarity.” The third AYD took place in India in 2005, with the theme “Asian Youth for Peace.”• The fourth AYD in 2006 was held in Hong Kong, the theme being “Asian Youth, Hope of Asian Families.” The fifth AYD was held in 2009 in the Philippines with the theme “YAsia Fiesta: Young Asians, Come Together, Share the Word, Live the Eucharist.” The sixth AYD in 2014 took place in Korea, the theme was “Wake Up Asian Youth! The Glory of The Martyrs Shines on You.”

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Theme of AYD 2017 The theme of AYD 2017 was “Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia.”

The Catholic Church in Asia is present in a society with a diversity of cultures and religions. Indonesia was also born from a multicultural womb, because of socio-cultural and geographical circumstances. This wealth of diversity has led the Asian bishops to unite (already in 1974). Their local churches are a way to engage in dialogue with cultural diversity, religion and poverty.

“Discussion and dialogue, with a courageous and innovative fidelity, might lead to an encounter between Catholic identity and the diverse ‘souls’ of multicultural society” (Pope Francis).

The Second Vatican Council has already encouraged the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a form and approach that fits local culture. The Church can also bring the values of the Kingdom of God into society through cooperation with other religions. It is not so much about having this or that religion, but about being a sincere religious person. In every religion one can be faithful, committed and helpful, in mutual solidarity complementing each other to improve the situation in the world. That is what the Kingdom of God is all about. “We speak in our own language of the great deeds God has done” (Acts 2:11). The pluralism in this quotation from the Acts of the Apostles promotes the spirit of communication. The multitude communicates with each other about change for the better and comes out on community: unity in diversity. Unity is created through communication and dialogue, while authenticity can continue to exist.

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Quotes from the Declaration of Participants of the 7th Asian Youth Days

“We, the participants of the 7th Asian Youth Days in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, are millennials. We face all kinds challenges. We live in a time of globalisation that affects our lives. We live amid rapid technological progress, in a consumer society, with addictions, and with the loss of our identity due to the diminishing Asian cultural values. We have difficulties in relying on our faith. We feel less close to God and His creation. We sometimes feel abandoned. We need opportunities and we need to be heard, and we need others who care about us.

However, despite the challenges, we also have opportunities to overcome them.

These skills play an important role in the survival of Catholic faith. As young people, we are confirmed by the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength and spirit to proclaim the good news in this multicultural world. We are at the forefront of warfare. We are armed with all kinds of talents, such as courage, concern and confidence. Our society needs these talents to respond to the challenges of today's and tomorrow's world.”

“During the Asian Youth Days we experienced a burning passion, a desire to influence and improve the world. We see how we can live in society when we speak different languages and have different beliefs, especially when we share our stories with hundreds of young Muslims. These multicultural encounters enable us to see the world in a new light. We hope that thanks to the Holy Spirit we can enlighten the world. We also realise that free spirits can become uncontrollable and threaten others. Therefore, it is important for us to get support from different parties to grow into young human beings who can contribute to this world in a positive way.” “ “Pope Francis told us: "Dear young people, don't squander your talents. Your talents are the blessings God has given to you. Do not be afraid of dreaming of something great in your life.” Our love of life and our hunger for knowledge can bring about great things, provided we are rooted in faith and in the Spirit of God, to have a positive influence on the world.

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“In this Asian diversity we live with religious, linguistic, ethnic and cultural differences, so it is important that we step out of our comfort zone and meet those who are different. Jesus has taught us to love unconditionally. We want to testify to this Spirit of Love, which He has shown us. We intend to work as pioneers of unity, creating bridges of love and respect for different cultures.�

By: Brenda Lynn Julianose (Malaysia); Frederico Rodrigues Pereira (Timor Leste); Michaela Ruth Calulut Gallardo (Hong Kong); Michael Sawung Aji Pamenang (Indonesia); Mark Zeus Quinto (The Phillipines, COYA); Ngyuyen Thi Thai Hang (Vietnam).

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Testimonials of Ambassadors WWB

Sr. Josefa Leolmin de Deus, ACI (Timor Leste) - “I have received a lot of graces from God who loves us unconditionally and who is always there to accompany our group in our journey. We joined AYD through the help, support and encouragement of the community of CMM Brothers, I am very thankful for this. I had a beautiful experience when our group visited the sick people in the hospital.

Through them I was affirmed of the love of God. I was amazed of how they could live with joy and peace, in spite being very sick. They did not worry about anything. They really inspired me to always have trust and hope in my heart because God is love. I have learned to open my hands to share, open my eyes to see the reality of others, open my heart to love and also to open my arms to receive others in love.”

Sr. Joaninha F. Gusmao, ACI (Timor Leste) - “I thank God for this great opportunity, and I am very grateful to the Brothers CMM who organized this group to join the activities of AYD in Yogyakarta Indonesia. They had prepared us well; before we went to Yogyakarta, we prayed together and had reflections and sharings, and we have also visited the sick people in a hospital. I feel that this was a very important moment for me, where I came out of my comfort zone to give myself to others, rather than I always focus on my self. I stepped into another reality, the reality of sick people. We have prayed for them and with them, and I feel that this is what Jesus wants us to do: to bring Him to each other. That we proclaim to each other the good news of hope, love, faith, courage and comfort.”

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Ambassadors WWB in the community of Brothers CMM in Dili

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