Monday 7 July 2008

By Catherine Smibert and Anthony Barich 

Youth are seeking for the keys to living and loving fully, and the Church has them, says the coordinator of one of the complementary events at World Youth Day.

Sister of Life Sr Mary Karen Toomy said this when she spoke to ZENIT about "The Love and Life Site."

The site is hosted by the Sisters of Life, the Knights of Columbus and the John Paul II Institutes. It will be held at the Sydney branch of the University of Notre Dame.

Sister Toomy summarized the line up: "rock concerts, Celtic fiddlers and dancers, friar bands, an awesome talk show 'Under the Southern Cross,' a screening of Bella, Dawn Eden, World Youth Alliance, adoration, a beautiful set design … oh, and, really so much more."

Jonathan and Karen Doyle, founders of Choicez Media, will speak on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body. Choicez Media provides Australians with values-based sex education, relationship resources and training seminars. The couple will do a daily series of presentations during World Youth Day.

Jonathan affirmed that theology of the body is not just for university professors, but is accessible to everyone. He explained that he and his wife will share personally about the real-life implications of theology of the body, and will draw from Karol Wojtyla's "Love and Responsibility."

The Doyles will contrast the general Western cultural attitude regarding relationships and sex with that of Catholic morality, which Jonathan described as the key to happiness itself, not a list of rules.

"It's straightforward really," he said. "If the general cultural attitude to sex, with its notions of casual sex and multiple partners, could make people happy, it would have done it by now. But it hasn't, and young people are hungry for something genuine.

"If the current culture made young people happy, then half a million of them wouldn't come from around the world to an event like World Youth Day."

His wife added, "It's a question of the heart. Before you talk about how people should behave, we need to address who we are as humans, what are we capable of and what we are designed for."

Sr Toomy said she is excited "that the charisms of the Sisters of Life -- to protect a sense of the sacredness of human life and the Knights of Columbus -- to protect the family, both intrinsically linked to love and John Paul II's gift to the world in theology of the body, have come together so well."

She said she hopes the site will offer youth the chance to know "that the Church freely gives the keys to live and love fully."

Details: www.lovelifelink.org/ll/index.html

[Zenit]