Empowering Young Catholic Leaders: The Catholic Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) 2025

3 February 2025, Chiang Mai, Thailand – CAYLA 2025 has successfully concluded, bringing together young Catholic leaders from across Asia for leadership formation and faith-based advocacy. Hosted by the International Youth Training Center (IYTC) – Laudato Si’ Centre in Chiang Mai and the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) Pax Romana, CAYLA is a program designed to equip young Catholic students and youth with leadership skills based on Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The goal is to help them actively contribute to their communities, the Church, society and beyond.

CAYLA was created in response to Pope Francis’ call for young people to be “agents for social change.” During the centenary celebration on July 22, 2022, he encouraged IMCS Pax Romana to embrace this mission. In a private audience in Rome on September 20, 2024, he further urged young people to be “protagonists of a revolution of charity and service” and to take on their role as engaged global citizens. His words became the foundation for this initiative, inspiring youth to lead with faith and social responsibility.

The first CAYLA program, held from January 21 to 31, 2025, brought together 16 young Catholic leaders from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. These participants from IMCS movements, contact groups, and Catholic organisations participated in an intensive 11-day leadership training program focused on faith-based advocacy, social change, and peacebuilding.

A key part of the program was teaching participants how to create and run advocacy campaigns in accordance with the Rome Commitment for Peace, Justice, and Care for Creation, a statement adopted at the Rome Pax Catholica Forum on September 19, 2024. This gave young leaders practical steps to implement projects in their home countries, particularly those related to human rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

CAYLA 2025 also helped launch the Pax Jubilee Campaign (2025-2027), an initiative connected to major global events such as the Jubilee Year (2025) and World Youth Day in Seoul (2027). The program included hands-on learning, advocacy training, and field visits to help participants better understand global issues, civil society involvement, and Catholic teachings on social justice.

IYTC, recognised as the Pax Romana Centennial Centre, is one of the key centres of IMCS Pax Romana. It serves as a hub for leadership training, advocacy, and faith-based social initiatives, focusing on equipping young Catholics with the tools to make a difference in their communities. IMCS Pax Romana, a global Catholic student movement, has been crucial in empowering young Catholics through education, social action, and advocacy for over a century.

Throughout the program, participants explored critical global topics, including the UN Summit of the Future (SOTF), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and youth advocacy platforms like the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security. They also studied key Church teachings, such as Evangelii Gaudium (2013), Laudato Si’ (2015), Christus Vivit (2019), and Fratelli Tutti (2020), in the context of Church movements and global youth engagement.

As CAYLA 2025 ends, its impact continues through the commitments made by its participants. These pledges act as action plans for ongoing advocacy and leadership efforts in their respective countries and communities. The friendships formed and the knowledge gained during these 11 days will continue to influence the future of Catholic youth leadership in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

CAYLA has set a new standard for leadership training, ensuring that young Catholics are not just learners but active leaders in change. With faith, dedication, and a heart for service, these young leaders are ready to tackle today’s challenges and bring about real social impact.

Through this powerful experience, CAYLA has become more than just a training program—a movement committed to shaping the future of faith-driven leadership and social transformation.