In 2018, the Church held the historic Synod on Young People. The Church in the Philippines found it very timely as she was also about to open the Year of the Youth then. However, its relevance continues even in this period of transition. Why? Because the above-mentioned triple dialogue is dear to young people.

In fact, these topics were present in the various stages of the journey of the Synod starting from the results of the global survey conducted before the Synod (The World of the New Generations), the Preparatory Document of the Synod, its Instrumentum Laboris or Working Document, up to its Final Document. Dialogue was a constant theme that was also present in the Open Letter of the Filipino Youth which was released before the start of the Year of the Youth.

It is a present-day reality that we live in a multi-religious and multi-cultural world. Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue are already priorities for the Catholic Church in countries where she is a minority. Take, for example, the Holy Father’s recent trips to the United Arab Emirates with a Muslim majority and to Thailand with a Buddhist majority.

Pope Francis’ trips in these two countries highlighted the Church’s commitment to dialogue towards harmonious co-existence. In the Philippines, with a Catholic majority, this may not be as visible or as felt YET but hopefully this year-long celebration will change that and usher in a new era, that of intensified commitment to “dialogue towards harmony,” as this year’s theme suggests. The challenge for us is to transform a multi-religious and multi-cultural world to an inter-religious and inter-cultural world.

“…The presence of different religious traditions is a challenge and an opportunity. The situation can lead to uncertainty and the temptation of relativism, but, at the same time, it can provide increased possibilities for fruitful dialogue and mutual enrichment. From the vantage point of faith, the situation is seen as a sign of our times, requiring greater listening, respect and dialogue.”[1]

It is us, young people, “who live day by day in contact with their [our] peers from other Christian confessions, religions, convictions and cultures”[2] – in the neighborhood, in the classroom, in the workplace, even while commuting. And so, ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and relationship with indigenous peoples cannot but be for us a concern.

In fact, in the Open Letter of the Filipino Youth, this was included as a socio-cultural concern to which we said, “We seek to further understand them, and a concrete step is for us to have opportunities for dialogue to face these differences and move towards a more inclusive world.”[3] It is essential, therefore, for the Church “to not only model but also to elaborate on theological guidelines for peaceful, constructive dialogue with people of other faiths and traditions.”[4]

For the past few years, we have been working for this endeavor. In 2005, Run4Unity, a worldwide sports event, was started by youth of the Focolare Movement, organizing activities that foster friendship among young people of different backgrounds, “passing” the baton, like in a relay race, from one time zone to the next, starting from Australia and New Zealand up to the United States. In 2015, we held this activity in the DepEd (Department of Education) Compound with hundreds of youth from different religious backgrounds.

It was a beautiful moment. We realized that while we may have different beliefs, we share the same commitment, the commitment to work for peace. We were inspired by Chiara Lubich’s message to the youth during the first Run4Unity where she shared how the Golden Rule is not only present in the Gospel but also expressed in the sacred books and teachings of other faiths.

If the Golden Rule is expressed in the teachings of different religions and teaches us to be brothers and sisters to one another, how come conflicts and tensions still exist? Maybe, we need to practice the Golden Rule more.

I also had the opportunity, together with many others, “to work with young people of other Christian denominations in celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity every January by holding youth-led ecumenical worship services to pray together, youth cafes to discuss social issues, and immersion activities with [indigenous] peoples to understand better the realities in society. We feel joy in the company of one another and even a greater joy in working together for Christian unity.”[5]

Last January, I was invited to share my realization during a gathering of Christians in which I said, “The different Christian denominations may have different teachings on certain aspects like the Eucharist, Confession, and Priesthood, but there is a common teaching on our way of life, to love. This is what the world lacks – love. And love is what characterizes Christians.

How can we give witness to a God who is Love if we, Christians, do not have love for one another? So let us start here, in our common teaching on how to live, which is by loving one another. The unity of Christians must first be seen in how they love one another. And if we have love for one another, the Holy Spirit can work in us and through us so “that all may be one…so the world may believe” (Jn 17:21).”[6]

Not so long ago, we also held an international meeting of young people here in the Philippines called “Genfest” where 6,000 young people from 100 nations came.

“These activities help us build and deepen our relationships with people of different faiths and encourage, as Pope Francis said, a ‘culture of encounter, a culture of friendship, a culture in which we find brothers and sisters, in which we can also speak with those who think differently, as well as those who hold other beliefs, who do not have the same faith.’

We felt empowered when the Synod Fathers said that we, young people, are the ‘pioneers of a new form of interreligious encounter and dialogue’ and that we ‘stimulate the entire Christian community to practice ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.’ ”[7]

I remember watching movies with an apocalyptic theme. In these movies where there is an attempt to depict the end of the world whether through a great flood or an asteroid approaching the planet, people seemed to have ignored their differences and instead come and work together for a common cause.

I wonder, do we have to wait for a time when the survival of the human race will be at stake for us to unite? Do we have to wait for an asteroid to approach the planet for us to look at one another beyond our diversities? Or another major volcanic eruption? I sincerely hope not.

“Allow me to repeat what the Holy Father said in his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates, ‘There is no alternative: we will either build the future together or there will not be a future.’ ”[8]

“That all may be one” is the dream of Jesus. Together, let us make every effort to make it happen.

Giancarlo “Gio” Francisco

[1] Preparatory Document of the Synod on Youth

[2] Final Document of the Synod on Youth

[3] Open Letter of the Filipino Youth to the Catholic Church in the Philippines

[4] Pre-Synodal Meeting

[5] Message during the Pan-Asian Meeting of Bishop-friends of the Focolare Movement   at Mariapolis Center, Tagaytay City (February 2019)

[6] Message during the 2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Ecumenical Service at Good Shepherd Parish, Las Piñas (January 2019)

[7] Message during the Pan-Asian Meeting of Bishop-friends of the Focolare Movement at Mariapolis Center, Tagaytay City (February 2019)

[8] Ibid.