By Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — Selected from different regions and international Catholic movements active around the world, 20 young people will advise the Vatican on topics related to the pastoral care of young people as well as other issues.
The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life announced the appointment of 20 new members of its international youth advisory body Oct. 7.
Wyatt Olivas, an undergraduate student at the University of Wyoming, was appointed to the board from the United States. At 20, Olivas is the youngest member of the Synod of Bishops on synodality.
The board was formed in response to a request from the final document produced at the 2018 Synod of Bishops on the youth.
“The group will play an important advisory and proactive role, collaborating in synodal style with the Dicastery, to further explore issues related to the pastoral care for youth and other topics of more general interest, including in cooperation with other Dicasteries of the Roman Curia,” the dicastery said in a statement announcing the appointments.
The first group of youth advisers to the dicastery was formed in 2019, and its members served four years on the board.
New members to the advisory board are from: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, United States and Zimbabwe.
The new appointees will meet as a group for the first time in Rome in December 2024, the Vatican said.