Juventutem

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Juventutem is an international Roman Catholic movement of young people attached to theTridentine Mass. It was established with the intention of having a Traditional Mass delegation present the international World Youth Day in 2005 and in subsequent years. Juventutem also aims to foster and strengthen relationships between these young people at the national and international levels, and to encourage and assist them in developing their faith.

The word juventutem is Latin for ‘youth’ and is taken from the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar (the opening prayers) of the Traditional Mass: Introibo ad altare Dei. Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. (I will go in to the Altar of God. To God, the joy of my youth.) In the Catholic understanding, the term 'juventutem' refers to the spiritual youth that comes from the grace of Christ. The celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is central to the Catholic Faith. The Traditional Mass was codified by Pope St Pius V after the Council of Trent, and was the norm of the Church until the codification of the new rite, the Novus Ordo, in 1969.

The first Juventutem meeting was in 2005 in Cologne, Germany, and was the first official delegation to any World Youth Day. More than 1000 young people from more than 20 countries attended Juventutem Cologne. Two cardinals and eight bishops participated in parts or all of the two week meeting, as well as many priests, religious and seminarians from around the world.

Juventutem has grown significantly since Cologne. Juventutem-International was formed in 2006 and numerous nation-based organisations, including the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Spain and the Netherlands have also been established. Work is already underway for Juventutem at the next major World Youth Day,in Sydney 2008, under the co-ordination of Juventutem Australia.