In his presentation, Fr Attard has explained how the document serves to arouse consultation throughout the Church, rather than to offer answers, and has offered an overview of the path along which the next Synod will be set (October 2018).
Then, recovering the structure of the preparatory document, he illustrated the fundamental social and cultural dynamics of today's youth world: uncertainty, scientist culture, multicultural and multi-religious societies, desire to participate, search for reference points, hyper-connection ...
He then deepened the fundamental steps of the vocational discernment process; he recalled the wisdom of the Eastern Church through the reference to the so-called "three births": the physical one, that one through the Baptism, and the spiritual one, which opens to the mature exercise of one's own freedom; and the phases through which it will be accomplished: the identification of a plan of God for each one, the interpretation of God's messages, and the final decision.
In this sense, he reiterated how important is the personal accompaniment of the young people within the process of discernment, since even if there are decisive moments or meetings and texts and reflections of great value, the discernment takes place through a gradual progress and through an own individual experience.
Finally, he has put forward some indications in order to take seriously the challenge of the pastoral care and the vocational discernment of young people: to walk together with the young people, being among them; to encourage their meeting with responsible communities, by offering them authoritative and of reference figures; to find daily meeting places (parishes, universities, associations, new media), as extraordinary events (World Youth Days, included in this daily report); to care for suitable languages and paths; and, last but not least, to be sure to propose contemplation, prayer, listening activities ... and to entrust everything to Mary's maternal intercession.
