Vatican City: A new edition of YOUCAT has been presented in Rome, offering young people practical guidance on love, relationships and marriage from the perspective of the Catholic faith.
The book, titled “YOUCAT Love Forever”, was presented on October 6 by the YOUCAT Foundation. It is the second major edition of the youth catechism, following the publication of the original YOUCAT in 2011. While the first book helped young people understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the new edition focuses specifically on the journey towards the Sacrament of Marriage and the meaning of love.
The presentation brought together Regina Lynch, Executive President of Aid to the Church in Need, Veronica Katz, Head of the Spanish Local Group and Consultation Process for YOUCAT Love Forever, Bernhard Meuser, creator of YOUCAT and coordinator of the new project, and Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, founder of Ignatius Press and YOUCAT's publishing partner since its beginning.
Archbishop John Joseph Kennedy, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the ACN Supervisory Board, presided over Mass at the Centro Internazionale Giovanile San Lorenzo in Rome before taking part in the presentation.
In his remarks, Archbishop Kennedy described “YOUCAT Love Forever” as a roadmap for young people as they make important decisions in their lives and grow in their faith.
He said young people today remain open to listening and interested in the Catholic faith. He stressed that the Church does not ask them to suppress their desire for love, but teaches that this desire is real and comes from God. Young people, he said, are called to fulfil that desire according to God's plan.
Archbishop Kennedy encouraged young Catholics to use the book to explore their questions, including difficult ones. He said that through studying these questions, they can discover answers about life and recognise that they were created for love.
For Bernhard Meuser, the new publication grew out of questions that emerged after the first YOUCAT was released in 2011. People began asking what should come next, with many pointing to love and sexuality as an important area that needed attention.
The YOUCAT Foundation subsequently began developing a second book. The project also faced the challenge of addressing different views around the world on sexual morality, gender ideology and related questions.
Meuser said the project received renewed encouragement from Pope Francis, who had called for an urgent marriage catechumenate. This helped restart efforts to develop the new publication.
Beginning in 2016, the YOUCAT team collected questions from more than 30 countries. Responses came from couples, single people, psychologists, priests, religious and theologians, providing a wide range of experiences and concerns about love and relationships.
The resulting book seeks to address these questions in a practical and accessible way while presenting the Church's understanding of love. Meuser said one of the major challenges today is the idea that love is simply a feeling that continues only while strong emotions remain.
According to Meuser, this understanding differs from the Christian view of love, which sees love as something deeper and more lasting.
“YOUCAT Love Forever” is described as a kind of catechism and a marriage handbook for young people. The publication includes a foreword by Pope Leo XIV and an epilogue by Pope Francis.
Meuser acknowledged that the book cannot change the world on its own. Instead, he described it as a small contribution that can encourage young people to pursue the ideal of love presented by the Catholic faith.