The faults of one person cannot be blamed on the entire Catholic Church, Percival Holt, a 25-year-old observer at the Synod of Bishops, told reporters.
“It is wrong to judge the church for the acts of certain people within the church,” he said Oct. 11 during the Vatican’s daily briefing on what is happening inside the synod on young people, the faith and vocational discernment.
Holt, president of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement and member of the National Youth Commission of India’s bishops’ conference, said he wanted to make it clear that the church has “immense love and concern” for young people.
“The church cares for you,” he said. When asked specifically about the clerical abuse scandal, Holt told Catholic News Service, the abuse was not caused by the structure of the church, but by its members.
His message to young people is that “if we want the church to be different, we have to hold onto our values and principles.”
As his generation steps into more leadership positions within the church, he said, they will have the opportunity to make a positive change if they are led by their principles. But if their values are compromised now, the cycle of poor behavior among church leaders will only continue.
