Faith in action: My experience of the Jubilee of Youth

As part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, Edward, a CAFOD volunteer, travelled to Rome to join more than 1 million young people from around the world for the Jubilee of Youth. In this blog, he reflects on a powerful week of pilgrimage, prayer and putting faith into action with Caritas Internationalis.

As the eternal city filled with what has been estimated to be a million young pilgrims from the furthest reaches of the globe, I had the privilege of representing CAFOD as a part of the Caritas Internationalis delegation to the Jubilee of Youth.

The delegation consisted of 21 young leaders representing each of the seven Caritas global regions, with Caritas Internationalis Youth Officer Rebecca Rathbone at the helm. We were there with a mission: to show the youth of the Church that Caritas member organisations like CAFOD need young people to help give a voice to the world's poor, to channel their energy and love to those most in need.

Turning debt into hope

One of our main activities was to canvas signatures for this year’s Turn Debt into Hope campaign at a booth stationed just a few hundred feet from the entrance to St Peter’s Square. As pilgrims went back and forth from the Vatican, we spoke to them about their experiences of Caritas organisations in their respective countries and encouraged them to sign the petition. By the end of the week, we received almost 1,000 signatures!

Join the call for debt justice in the Jubilee Year

Walking through Holy Doors

In between manning the booth, we had the opportunity to travel together to each of the four Papal basilicas in Rome. At each of these magnificent churches we said prayers of intercession as we walked through the Holy Doors. The most moving experience for me was walking through the Holy Doors of St Mary Major and filing past the simple yet poignant tomb of the late Pope Francis.

Meeting the Caritas leadership

Being young leaders and representatives of Caritas organisations like CAFOD from every continent, we were invited for a tour of the Caritas Internationalis offices in the Vatican where we were received by Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo and President of Caritas, and the Secretary General, Alistair Dutton. Alistair spoke both of the impact of current aid budget cuts from governments around the world and also of the hope and inspiration young people can bring to humanitarian movements.

Faith in action

As well as becoming familiar with Caritas as an international entity, we never lost sight of life at the sharp edge of our humanitarian organisations. One evening we had the privilege of serving at a local Caritas Roma soup kitchen in the centre of Rome. Serving, talking and listening with those who came in need of food in the quiet of a Roman night really brought home the corporeal impact of Caritas in cities just like this all around the world.

A lasting memory

The week culminated in a celebration like no other as a million pilgrims gathered in Tor Vergata outside Rome to hold a vigil with Pope Leo on Saturday night. As we sat together at the summit of a long and joyful pilgrimage, all 21 of us became like brothers and sisters. We had eaten, slept, learnt and prayed together; this is my everlasting memory of the jubilee. As Pope Leo spoke of that very evening: ‘Friendship can truly change the world. Friendship is a path to peace.’