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VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is inviting 300 young people to the Vatican next month to personally present their hopes and concerns about the Catholic Church, after an online questionnaire failed to generate enough feedback.
The March 19-24 meeting is designed to help the Vatican prepare for a synod of bishops in October dedicated to young people.
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, who is organizing both meetings, told reporters Friday that 100,500 young people had completed the questionnaires, but acknowledged that the Vatican is seeking greater participation.
Stella Marillene Nishimwe, a Burundian Catholic who will be attending, said the meeting and online outreach would provide her peers with a unique chance to have their voices heard "without intermediaries, without official letters."
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