Question you say that the youth is the Church But why is it when they don’t attend the Church no one contacts them to bring them back to the Church?

A question:

One saying, you say that the youth is the Church (I mean the future of the Church, not only the youth is the Church. Otherwise, all persons as myself are not members of the Church. I am saying that the youth are the future, future of the Church (. But why is it, when they don’t attend a Church for a long period of time? also this may be among the future of the Church. Do you think that the members of the Church, all of them are of one standard, one level They have different levels? And they are saying no one contacts them to bring them back to the Church? ^[1]

The Answer:

For you who sends a question, do you pay any effort to let some of the youth return to the Church from among your friends, your neighbors, your relatives? You should, all of you, cooperate with the Church.

Not only the clergymen are asked to bring back those who left the Church, but all of us are asked to do this responsibility. You may attract your colleagues, your neighbors, your friends, your relatives to bring them back to the Church, to cooperate with the Church. At least, if you can do it, you may give the names of such persons to the Church in order to help the Church to know who are such persons.

And he is saying, unfortunately, because of the lack of communication, the Church has lost so many?

 What do you mean the word Church? For this who sends a question. What do you mean the word Church? The Church may be the clergymen, and the Church also may mean all the members of the baptized persons in the Church. You are one of the Church, and you are responsible to bring back some of those who are lost. Otherwise, you will speak about the sins of the priests and the sins of the bishops who don’t have communication with the lost ones. You have responsibility. You yourself, who sends a question, have responsibility to bring back those who are lost as far as you can. As far as you can.

^{[1] A Question Answered by His Holiness Pope Shenouda in a Sermon Entitled “Be holy as I am holy – Youth Meeting” Dated: November 22, 2002}