The Catholic Church over the weekend announced the institution of its New Integrated Catholic Youth Foundation Programme (NICYFOP). The National Youth Chaplain, Reverend Father Charles Pokoo, announced this at the launch of the 23rd Catholic World Youth Day at the Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Madina. Father Pokoo said the NICYFOP was the result of about a year's deliberation that sought to implement some of the issues raised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference on youth development. He said the programme was tailor made, integrated and comprehensive and could be used by all youth groups, schools and training centres to ensure the spiritual, moral, intellectual and entrepreneurial development of all youth in the country. He said currently, the Catholic Church was working on a syllabus 'or a facilitators’ guide for the programme. "With the NICYFOP policy, the facilitators’ guide and a monitoring and evaluation guideline, we will be on course to ensure that the youth make their contribution to development," he pointed out. Addressing mare than 5,000 youth who were present far the programme, Rev. Father Pokoo urged them to avail themselves to be used as channels of God. The Vicar-General of the Accra Arch-diocese, Monsignor Francis Adoboli, asked the youth to believe in themselves, look to the future with hope and endeavour to bring others to their faith. He said despite seeming trials and hardships, there was hope for the youth in Ghana; and asked them to expect a bright future in which they would be great leaders of their generation. The launch of the day is a prelude to the World Youth Day which will take place in July this year in Sydney, Australia. Since 1984, Ghana has been part of the World Youth Day celebrations and an 18-member youth delegation is expected to represent the country in Sydney this year. The Member of Parliament for Abokobi/Madina, Alhaji Ahmadu Sorogho, challenged the youth to prepare for opportunities that would come their way. He lauded the recent visit of some eminent Muslim leaders from Saudi Arabia to the Vatican and the subsequent pledge by Pope Benedict XVI and the Muslim world to work together for a better world. Alhaji Sorogho said the gathering of youth of all faiths and denominations for the launch was also significant and reminded them that that had to be the standard for all times, even when they became leaders in future. Goodwill messages from the Islamic Youth Movement, the Presbyterian Church, the Pentecost Youth Association and other organisations urged the youth to become good leaders in future by becoming responsible youth today. Source: Daily Graphic