Archbishop to parishes — provide comprehensive catechesis to youth

MARTINIQUE

Archbishop David Macaire of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France is calling on the Church to address a growing malaise among young adults, many of whom feel evaluated before being loved within parish life.

“For several years, over the course of pastoral visits, a malaise has returned, especially with young adults. They speak of a look, of an impression of being evaluated before being loved, of being barely tolerated in the Church… as long as they remain discreet,” he said, according to the Archdiocese’s Eglise catholique en Martinique website: https://martinique.catholique.fr/

Archbishop Macaire described how many young adults are present at major life events—Baptisms, funerals, or catechumenate meetings—then quietly disappear.

“Some say that they were made to understand that they could not serve because of their marital status. Others said they couldn’t commit to a group ‘as it was.’ Still others say that before asking for Baptism, it is first necessary to ‘regulate their lives’.”

He warned that this expectation of moral perfection before participation is misguided. “As if grace were given by moral perfection, and not the other way around…This is an incoherence of our comm-unity: a non-baptised person or a new one is required to have a moral coherence that so many baptised people themselves struggle to live; the fruit is asked for before the tree has been planted.”

Archbishop Macaire emphasised the Church’s mission of inclusion. “The Church is not a four-star hotel reserved for saints, but a field hospital for poor sinners. Belonging to the Christian community is not conditioned to a perfect life. When it gives the impression of selecting at the entrance, it ceases to be credible. Who benefits from this customs requirement of a ‘right to enter’ the Church? Not to the Lord in any case!”

The Archbishop also urged parishes to provide comprehensive catechesis. Candidates for Baptism and young people, he highlighted, must receive a solid, intelligent, and adapted education.

“Certainly not a cheap catechism, but a clear, demanding, and radical doctrine. It must be verified that they really adhere to the teaching of the Church and that they sincerely promise to conform to it with all their power, despite their frailties,” he said.

He, however stressed that the desire for holiness should not be confused with a ‘zero fault’ moral life. “There is an obligation of means, not of result. Moral perfection is the fruit of an encounter with Christ. This encounter is lived in her Body which is the Church. If someone is kept at a distance on the grounds that he has not yet been transformed, how can he ever be transformed?”

Archbishop Macaire explained that sacraments should not be denied except in cases of grave scandals. “As long as an appropriate catechesis has been given and a candidate shows a sincere adherence to the teaching, he or she cannot be refused the sacraments of initiation on the grounds of an ‘irregular situation.’ No one knows the secret of the heart, and many situations do not depend solely on the will of the people concerned. Like all the faithful, may they move forward as best they can ‘with Grace!’, that is, WITH the sacraments!”

Archbishop Macaire concluded with a call to action for clergy and parish communities. He invited faithful to put all their energy into ensuring that a real welcome for young adults is organised everywhere: real listening to their expectations, adapted proposals, personal support, and clear and positive teaching on emotional, sexual, and family life.

“Let them feel blessed and not judged! The Church would benefit from reflecting the mercy of Christ. She will gain everything by being more like her,” he said.