Young people have the right to more traditional forms of liturgical
experience, said Bishop Joel Portela Amado, 71, of Petrópolis, at a
press conference of the Brazil Bishops in Aparecida, according to
AciDigital.com.
A journalist asked about a possible “return” of
the Mass in the Roman rite and spoke about “young people who kneel to
receive Communion” and “wear veils”.
Bishop Joel replied it is
important to consider broader trends, citing 2022 census data showing
the highest number of people without religion is among those aged 19 to
39.
“It’s not that they don’t believe in God. They are
‘unchurched’ - they believe in God, but lack a concrete path within the
Church,” he said.
Bishop Joel suggested this can lead young
people to seek religious reference points, sometimes in past forms they
did not grow up with.
For him, such “diversity” is legitimate:
“Do they have the right to be like this? Yes, because Catholicism is
plural by nature, especially in a deeply plural world,” he said.
Picture: dom Joel Portela Amado, © Adielson Agrelos / CNBB, #newsCsgkoqndnn