Why JPII Saw Blessed Frédéric Ozanam as a Guide for Youth

His Feast Day was yesterday, on the 9th of September. He founded the Conference of Charity, now known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

Pope John Paul II pointed to Blessed Frédéric Ozanam as a great example of someone that young people should strive to imitate.

While many young people today are familiar with St. Pier Giorgio Frassati or St. Carlo Acutis, a few decades ago, Pope John Paul II pointed youth toward Blessed Frédéric Ozanam for inspiration.

His unique example of holiness was highlighted during the 1997 World Youth Day in Paris, France, where Pope John Paul II presided at his beatification Mass.

During his homily, Pope John Paul II repeatedly explained why young people need to turn to Bld Frédéric Ozanam.

Defending the truth with charity

The first connection to young people that Pope John Paul II made was how Bl. Frédéric was a "seeker" of the truth while studying as a student:

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, apostle of charity, exemplary spouse and father, grand figure of the Catholic laity of the 19th century, was a university student who played an important role in the intellectual movement of his time. A student, and then an eminent professor at Lyon and later at Paris, at the Sorbonne.

For many students, college is a time in their lives when they are actively seeking the truth, testing the faith that they were raised in. It's an important time in the lives of many young people, a time when they are open to authentic witnesses of the faith.

Pope John Paul II also related how Bl. Frédéric Ozanam is an example to young people on how to defend the truth when you are being attacked. Bl. Frédéric was someone who openly defended his Catholic faith, but did so in charity:

[H]e aimed above all at seeking and communicating the truth in serenity and respect for the convictions of those who did not share his own. "Learn to defend your convictions without hating your adversaries, " — he wrote — "to love those who think differently than yourselves, . . . let us complain less about our times and more about ourselves"

This is an important lesson, especially in the 21st century when social media so often devolves into hate speech, especially when confronted with someone who tries to attack your convictions.

Bl. Frédéric teaches us that we need to stand firm in our faith, but not to act uncharitably towards our "enemies."

Learning about the faith in a new way

Another example that both young people and catechists can learn from is how Bl. Frédéric sought to teach young people the catechism in a new way:

His role in starting the Lenten Conferences in this Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Paris is well-known, with the goal of permitting young people to receive an updated religious instruction regarding the great questions confronting their faith. A man of thought and action, Frédéric Ozanam remains for today's university community, professors as well as students, a model of courageous commitment, capable of making heard a free and demanding voice in the search for the truth and the defense of the dignity of every human person. May he also be for them an invitation to holiness!

In today's world, YouTube has become one of the most influential platforms for teaching young people, with many students coming to the faith through online catechesis that is tailored to their needs.

Above all, Bld Frédéric Ozanam should be thought of as a great example for young people to imitate, especially in how he truly practiced what he preached.