Logo unveiled for World Youth Day 2011

Here it is:
Official website and explanation from Zenit.

More on West: Schindler says his credibility "a problem for the Church"

Last week's post on West generated 250+ comments. Clearly this topic is on AmP readers' minds.

I was sent this a couple days ago and think it might move the debate forward:

"David L. Schindler, provost and dean of the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University of America, has written a response to what he says are fundamental errors in Christopher West's interpretation of Pope John Paul II's theology of the body."

For those who want to inform themselves about this issue thoroughly, do read the whole text.

Alice von Hildebrand takes Christopher West to task

Christopher West is going a little too far, some say (I'd tend to agree):

Renowned Catholic thinker Dr. Alice von Hildebrand has criticized Theology of the Body speaker Christopher West, saying his approach has become too self-assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the “tremendous dangers” of concupiscence.

Also cautious of West’s remarks on his recent interview with ABC television were Mary Shivanandan and Fr. José Granados, both Catholic authors and theologians.

The news segment showed him calling for Catholics to complete “what the sexual revolution began.” He also described “very profound” historical connections between Hugh Hefner and Pope John Paul II. (CNA)

Now, if you are prone to disagree with what's quoted above, please read the entire CNA article first.

I'm aware that many young people and couples have been deeply affected by Theology of the Body, but they should ask themselves if they were touched by Christopher West's presentation, or John Paul II's theological and mystical intuitions into human nature, which form the foundation of what is best in West.

There are many layers here. It's a very important teaching that the world needs to see us live clearly.

update - for more context, here is the link to Christopher West's interview on ABC.

update 2 - in more fairness to West, here is West's "The Playboy and The Pope" from his Introduction to the Theology of the Body:

But I think his using Heffner and the Pope together in the same sentence, for many critics, is simply an occasion for them to make their deeper points.

Robbie George on "Confronting the Hook-Up Culture"

A solution proposed:

Some universities, including Princeton, have student-run societies for students who oppose the hook up culture and wish to support each other in resisting it. The emergence of these societies is encouraging, but they are only part of the solution. Students are strapped for time and don’t have the experience or professional skills to provide the level of guidance and support that their peers need when it comes to important questions of sexuality and morality. Universities know this—that’s why at Princeton, for example, in addition to the student gay Pride Alliance, the Queer Graduate Caucus, LGBT Task Force, and the LGBT Staff and Faculty Group, there is the University’s LGBT Center, with a full-time paid University staff member committed to LGBT support and activities. For the same reasons, there needs to be university support for students who want to live and conduct their relationships honorably in the face of the hook-up culture.

Modesty back in fashion as economy worsens?

So claims one USA Today reporter:

Modesty in young women's clothing is getting a boost from the dismal economy.

When consumer spending was in overdrive, retailers could sell to the masses and ignore the more muted voices asking for, say, a decent supply of sleeved shirts or prom dresses that show more fabric than skin.

Now, however, it's the rare retailer who's willing to take the chance of turning off any possible customer. Luxury-store clerks can no longer afford to look down at scruffy shoppers, and store owners of every sort are recognizing the one-size-fits-all approach to retail buying no longer works.

Whether it's more of a fiscal or moral shift, understated girls' clothing may indeed be making a comeback.

Even flashy Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld declared "bling is over" and noted the economy is prompting a "new modesty," in an interview with the International Herald Tribune this year.

Retail consultant Ken Nisch says the trend is more moderation than modesty, but the effect may be the same. (USA Today)

I found it interesting how the reporter described the founding of Pure Fashion (a modesty-promoting organization), which is actually sponsored by Regnum Christi (underlining mine):

Pure Fashion has about 700 members who work as models at spring teen fashion shows, which attract about 11,000 people. The group has affiliates in 10 countries, and is signing new groups on its website, PureFashion.com.

Pure Fashion was an offshoot of a Catholic missionary organization, but Sharman believes its message resonates from Muslims to Orthodox Jews to parents who simply believe it shouldn't be hard to find shorts that completely cover the rear end.

Missionary to the fashionistas, apparently. There's plenty of hearts to convert:

"Everybody's seeing their bottom lines shrinking, so they want to sell to those who wear modest clothing, as well as those who want to wear it in a more risqué manner," says Hoffmann. "And that's fine with us."

I'm sure it is.

update: Pure Fashion is actually one of over a dozen programs sponsored by Regnum Christi.

update 2: I received a report from an RC member saying that Brenda Sharman claims Pure Fashion is "no longer directly affiliated with RC." I'm not sure what to make of that statement because their website still says PF is sponsored by RC and affiliated with their "Mission Network."

Can anyone add a clarification?

On Facebook, Regnum Christ youth react to Maciel news

A search of the popular social networking website Facebook reveals several popular groups created (some time ago) to support Marcial Maciel. Out of curiosity, I visited two of the largest ones to see how young Catholics are reacting to the news.

The first one is named "Sainthood Quickly for Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC!" (click on the picture for full-size.)

With 318 members currently, the description reads:

This group is especially created for all those who believe and know that Nuestro Padre has been in life and is now a saint!! Withut [sic.] doubt this man is probably one of the greates [sic.] men of our times and all of us and the whole world will be touched by him in many ways. This is a man that the world will never forget especially his beloved legionaries. Lets hope and pray that the process of beatification and canonization will begin quickly!!

One line from the group's discussion area caught my eye: "We cannot expect people on the outside to understand, because they have not had the opportunity to know the spirituality. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Cartas, CLC, etc and truly pray about it knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the author of those letters was in no way a man of sin or vice."

More work to be done.

The second group is named "In loving memory of Fr. Marcial Maciel, MC" (click on the picture for full-size.)

This group has obviously changed it group picture into one depicting a grieving Christ. The group's description has similarly been changed and, without mentioning what has happened, and counsels prayer for all those involved and hope that God will bring something good out of this.

And while some of Fr. Berg's comments are mentioned (greatfully) in the discussion thread, one person says: "I have learned a lot out of this experience. The mesage is: everyone can be a saint!"

More work to be done, still.

CNA: Catholic college students to participate in March for Life en masse

Here they come:

Thousands of Catholic college students and faculty will participate in the National March for Life in Washington, DC this Thursday.

The March began in 1974, one year after the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade imposed permissive abortion laws nationwide, and has drawn tens of thousands of protestors to the nation’s capital for decades.

Pre-eminent among the colleges participating in the March is the Front Royal, Virginia-based Christendom College, which has participated in the demonstration since 1974. It will bus all of its students to Washington, and for the third time will lead the March with its school banner.

Magdalen College’s entire student body will travel about 500 miles from Warner, New Hampshire to march for the second straight year. Students solicited donations for the trip. (More)

Is your school/youth group sponsoring a trip to the march?

Announced: Themes for the next 3 World Youth Days

Hot off the press:

The Holy Father has chosen the themes for the next three World Youth Days so as to help build a spiritual itinerary that will culminate in the World Youth Day celebrations scheduled to take place in Madrid, Spain from 16 to 21 August, 2011.

- 24th World Youth Day (2009): "We Have Set Our Hope on the Living God" (1 Tim 4:10)

- 25th World Youth Day (2010): "Good Teacher, What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?" (Mk 10:17)

- 26th World Youth Day (2011): "Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith" (cf Col 2:7)

The '09 and '10 WYDs will be held in Rome, 2011 in the Reino de Espana.

update: more from Whispers:

Slated to take up the entire third week of August 2011, interest in the Madrid gathering is already running quite high... and as further proof that Karol Wojtyla's beloved brainchild is here to stay, the jockeying for its 2014 follow-up has already begun in earnest.

update 2: The exact dates for WYD 2011 are August 15-21.

Life Teen Founder Excommunicated

Fr. Dale Fushek, best known for being one of the founders of "Life Teen", has finally been excommunicated.

From the Diocese of Phoenix website:

December 15, 2008-The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has issued a Decree of Excommunication to Reverend Monsignor Dale Fushek and Reverend Mark Dippre.

Fushek and Dippre have incurred the censure of excommunication because they have chosen to be in schism with the Catholic Church by establishing and leading an opposing ecclesial community known to the public as the Praise and Worship Center. Both priests have consistently refused to comply with explicit directions by Bishop Olmsted to discontinue engaging in public ministry. The excommunications were incurred after repeated offers of reconciliation were ignored. The decree of excommunication by Bishop Olmsted declares the censure that Fushek and Dippre, as ordained priests, have brought upon themselves. The purpose of these sanctions is to reconcile both men with the Catholic Church and to preserve the integrity and unity of the Diocese.

... Bishop Olmsted continues to express his grave concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the actions of Dale Fushek and Mark Dippre. The Diocese of Phoenix does not endorse the actions of these excommunicated priests and we encourage Catholics to refrain from attending or supporting the Praise and Worship Center. We remind Catholics that the ultimate form of praise and worship is and always will be the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and we urge them to keep the Mass as the center of their lives. There is no substitution for the graces received at Mass and no prayer more edifying.

Marcel has a reaction statement from the current president of Life Teen, Randy Raus, making the point that Fr. Fushek's involvement with Life Teen is long over:

This excommunication is not connected in any way with the ministry of Life Teen, as all of the actions that led to this occurred after Rev. Dale Fushek’s involvement with our ministry. Further, I want to make it clear that Life Teen is in no way associated with his new venture.

Even though it has been almost four years since he has been directly involved with the movement of Life Teen, the media continues to associate Rev. Dale Fushek with Life Teen. While we continue to pray for Rev. Dale Fushek, the movement of Life Teen is in full support of Bishop Olmsted and Diocese of Phoenix in this matter.

Fr. Fushek (wiki entry) has been very bad news for a long time. In 2005 he was indicted for sexually-related misdemeanor charges. The one-time vicar general of the diocese was accused of sexually abusing a teen, and costing the diocese a $100,000 settlement. I commented on this developing story briefly back in January.

Well, good riddance.

Pope warns students about technology isolation

I hope I'm not being ironic by spreading this news ... on my blog:

Students today are in danger of losing this balance [between solitude and communion], the Holy Father explained, due to the increased use of information technologies. “On the one hand, they run the risk of a growing reduction in their capacity for concentration and mental application on an individual level; on the other, that of isolating themselves individually in an increasingly virtual reality.”

In doing so, students close themselves off to “constructive relations with others." (CNA)

Pope Benedict, of course, is very right to point out the danger of going "too much" in either the direction of communion or solitude. So be careful how much you read my blog, or watch my YouTube channel, browse my Flickr page, hang out on my FaceBook page, wait for my Twitter updates, or .... you get the idea.

Seriously, however, the tendency to isolate oneself I think is a problem for some people more than others, but in my experience it's fairly obvious when it's getting to be a serious problem.

Loosing the ability to concentrate for extended periods of time, however, is more insidious and therefore causes me much more concern. I think it's a problem not only caused by time online, but much more by our media culture (including especially TV ads, shows, cable news, etc).

So keep reading books. Honestly - it's the best way to keep your brain in shape. And have long conversations with your friends. That's what humans do. And of course, if you need reading tips or stuff to talk about...

.... there's always AmP. :-)

NCR introduces "New voices from young Catholics"

National Catholic Reporter evidently saw the writing on the wall and is trying something new.

It's called "Young Voices" and here's how they describe it:

The future of our church is in the hands of a generation coming of age in the first decade of the 21st century. NCR went looking among this generation and found four young Catholics -- Nicole Sotelo, Kate Childs Graham, Mike Sweitzer-Beckman, Jamie L. Manson -- from different backgrounds and with different connections to the church. They will be sharing their stories in this space weekly.

Two possible goals here:

• Maybe they'd like to have subscribers under 40 again (no offense)
• Maybe they'd like to convince their subscribers over 60 that they are not a dying breed

Regardless of the conjectural editorial motivation, their inaugural column is by Nicole Sotello on Proposition 8.

Her thinly-veiled disagreement with the teaching of the bishops on this topic runs as follows:

But I wonder what type of laws we are preserving. We’ll be keeping a system of marriage laws that are not about love, but about privilege. Our current civil marriage laws privilege heterosexual men and women who happen to be fortunate in finding a partner. These couples receive special benefits with regard to taxes, pension plans, health care, social status and a variety of other societal advantages. Those who happen to be unlucky in love or whose families do not fit the mold are left out: unmarried parents with children, unmarried elderly individuals who live together and care for one another, and so on.

But marriage is a privilege - not a right. If it was a right, I could demand to be married - and as easier as that might make things for me on a friday night, it's clearly not reality. And marriage as a civil institution says nothing about love - that's a sacramental/interpersonal category, so it's unfair to ask if civil marriages are about "love". Try arguing that in a court.

Moving on: yes, marriage law privileges heterosexual couples, but why? Because they are the fundamental unit of society and society has an interest in protecting and fostering them. Society doesn't have that same interest in fostering the relationship between my brother and I, even if we share a house and expenses together (we don't, he has to graduate college first).

Protecting marriage is not about excluding people who are "left out". Even if gay marriage were approved by the state, that would do nothing to address the other situations Nicole talks about, including the unmarried, single-parents, etc. So that's really a completely separate issue.

And that coy "families who don't fit the mold" line? Please, if you're going to be a columnist, actually talk about the things you want to talk about. Don't use code language like that. Try being specific and explicit.

Oh, and in a column talking about Proposition 8, ya know that might be a really good time to express your understanding of the Church's teaching on homosexual unions and the civil ramifications.

My final take:

168 words of forgettable.

Lies, Damn Lies, and ... Polling

Much is being made of Faith in Public Life's new poll "The Young and the Faithful". I've discussed it previously here and, after asking, found the AmP community's input to be very helpful. Read through those here.

Recently, CNS published it's take on the results:

The survey indicated that younger Catholics are less traditional than older Catholics. More young Catholics identified themselves as Democrats than as Republicans -- 54 percent to 35 percent -- whereas older Catholics were almost evenly split between the two political parties . Only 28 percent of young Catholics said they are politically conservative, compared to 42 percent of older Catholics.

CNS gives the last word to a Faith in Public Life spokeswoman:

Expect to see the dividing lines of the culture wars continue to fade," said Katie Paris, director of communications strategy at Faith in Public Life.

My take? I think this poll and the accompanying analysis of its results have many blind spots.

If I had to choose *one* blind spot, it would be the difference between active and nominal Catholics. This difference applies to Catholics over 35, and even more so to those under 35.

Nominal Catholics, not surprisingly, closely follow the national trends. As AmP reader Gradchica said: "One might think these infrequent attenders have learned just enough of their faith to dangerously misinterpret it, and to miss the fine distinctions."

Active Catholics, however, are counter-cultural and don't follow the national trends. The proof for this claim is very easy to provide.....

For instance, a CNA editorial notes:

Where Obama has broken the pattern, his Catholic problem shows up among weekly Mass attendees. He won in Missouri, 50 percent to 46 percent, but lost active Catholics, 46 percent to 53 percent. He tied in Wisconsin but lost among active Catholics, 46 percent to 53 percent.

CWNews, commenting on a Pew forum study, also points out:

The Pew profile confirm that Catholics compose a crucial political constituency. But the survey also shows a sharp distinction between the Catholics who attend Mass regularly and those who are not active. Thus for example, among Catholics who attend Mass weekly, 60% say that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances; among those who do not go to Mass regularly the figure is 29%. Similarly, 42% of the regular Mass-goers oppose research that entails the destruction of human embryos; only 22% of the less active Catholics take that stand.

More troubling, however, is another trend: younger Catholics are less likely to be as active in their faith as their parents. This fact explains the general trend of young Catholics being "less conservative", or what have you.

Which brings us back to the point Archbishop Charles Chaput makes in his book Render Unto Caesar, that the crisis of voting is at root a crisis of faith. It should therefore not surprise us that people who do not even attend Mass regularly, who do not live an active faith, also do not have the same perspective on moral issues as the Church does.

I realize this is a bold claim, and that I have expressed it without all the qualifications, provisos and considerations that a more full treatment would contain, but I think it remains the fundamental insight which explains both how a) active Catholics vote differently and yet b) overall, Catholics are more "mainstream" in their voting habits than the previous generation.

Final consideration:

Are things getting worse? I don't think so. I think matters are becoming more clear. Pope Benedict has said, and I have quoted him before as saying, that active, passionate minorities shape cultures. The cohesion shown among conservative Catholics, and the stable dedication they demonstrate to the teachings of the Church, is more able to spread itself through teaching and witness, and propogate itself through children and education, than a nominal faith ever can or will.

One only has to look to the constant biblical admonition of Jesus that, to those who have much faith, more will be given, and to those who have little faith, even what they have will be taken away - to begin understanding the reality that I would claim is again present here before us.

So our task? Increase our faith, live it, and share it with others.

And don't fret about the polls.

In your email inbox: "You've got an STD!"

The web 2.0 solution to one of those pesky drawbacks of the "sexual revolution", from WebMD:

It has never been so important to check your inbox.

Four years after the launch of inSPOT.org, which allows people with sexually transmitted diseases to notify sexual partners via email, nearly 50,000 e-cards have been sent, according to an article published in PLoS Medicine.

The site is designed to increase the notification of partners -- part of an overall strategy to prevent and control sexually transmitted diseases. In the U.S. there are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases diagnosed each year, including 900,000 cases of chlamydia, 330,000 cases of gonorrhea, and 55,400 HIV infections, according to the PLoS Medicine article.

A picture:

A sample message:

The electronic cards deliver the news in a variety of styles. Some are flirty: "You're too hot to be out of action. I got diagnosed with an STD since we played. You might want to get checked too."

Some are somber: "Who? What? When? Where? It doesn't matter. I got an STD; you might have it too. Please get checked out."

Helpfully, WebMD considered these sort of articles to be topical to the above story:

• What Does It Take to Lift Your Sex Life to the Next Level?
• Which Birth Control is Right For You?
• International Teen Sex Survey

... and it's a surprise that we need an E-Card STD-notification service?!

Picture: Facebook ad seeks human eggs

A friend of mine here in Washington DC, like most girls her age (2o's), has a profile on Facebook.

And what does Facebook consider an appropriate advertisement for her demographic?

See for yourself:

Egg donation can be an appealing solution to the financial difficulties young women face, especially those attending higher education.

But the fact of the matter is that egg donors are most often recruited in order to assist couples trying to become pregnant through In Vitro fertilization, which is condemned by the Catholic Church.

Egg donation, while reducing the donors fertility, also treats a woman's reproductive gametes as a product that can be bought at a market price, which is against human dignity.

I don't think Facebook should be allowing such ads to be targeted at young women.

New polling claims Younger Christians becoming more liberal

I received an initiation to participate in a conference call yesterday explaining the results of new polling data acquired by the "progressive" religions group Faith in Public Life (founded after the '04 elections), on young evangelicals and Catholics. Unfortunately prior duties prevented me from participating.

The results are online here (PDF).

I have something to say in response to each one of their conclusions.

But, because this is a topic very close to myself and one of the ongoing goals of AmP (to provide news, quality commentary and content for young Catholics living in America), I'll probably spend a bit more time on this report and try to get something on it published (you'll hear about that when it happens).

In the meantime, what are your observations?

Related previous AmP topics:

• Commentary: If Liberal Catholicism is Dead, then the Youth Killed It (May 7)
• Report: "Younger Catholics Becoming Increasingly Liberal, Studies Show" (February 17)
• Cardinal Pell on the signs of hope among young conservative Catholics (May 2006)

Madison Theology on Tap Appearance

Last Thursday, as I mentioned, I was invited to give the Theology on Tap talk for the Cathedral Parish of Madison, Wisconsin on the topic of "Faith in the Ballot Box: Catholic Conscience in the Civic Arena."

It was a wonderful chance to systematically think through and then present the huge range of material AmP has covered in recent months on the relationship between our Catholic faith and our involvement in American politics.

I drew most immediately upon Abp. Chaput's new book on the topic, as well as the most recent voting guide of the U.S. Bishops (Faithful Citizenship - PDF), as well as their excellent 1998 version, Living the Gospel of Life. Obviously these documents themselves rest on Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, Documents of Vatican II, Encyclicals, etc.

The Cathedral Parish is a tech-savvy setup, so you can already access an audio of the talk and the subsequent Q&A session through this link. It's amazing how fast an hour-and-a-half flies by when you get going. I also posted the photos that were taken to this AmP Flickr photo set.

A special surprise came with the appearance of local bishop Robert Morlino to hear my presentation. As AmP readers may remember, Bishop Morlino set aside his prepared homily on the Sunday that Joe Biden spoke his foolishness in order to set the record straight.

Since Bishop Morlino made his clarification, he's been facing a bit of local backlash from the liberal element in Madison, but appears to be weathering the storm just fine.

I'm happy to say that it appears he enjoyed the talk, and as long as I don't receive an excommunication in the mail shortly, I can presume safely that I didn't manage to confuse the issues too badly. ;-)

Special thanks go to Monica Freng, who invited me and was a wonderful hostess, as was her husband Ryan (er, "host"). Please keep them in your prayers as they have their first little one on the way. My gratitude also to Msgr. Kevin Holmes, pastor of the combined "Isthmus Catholic area", for his hospitality throughout my stay.

Mr. Brock Heinz and his wife were also extremely generous to me over the weekend. I would urge all WI-area readers to check out the excellent Men of Christ conference and their various hosted events. You can already sign up for the 2009 conference, for instance.

Thanks, finally, to all the AmP readers who made an appearance at the talk, participated actively in the before-during-and-after debate, and even stood me for a pint or two as the evening wore on!

It's always such an excitement for me to meet readers in person. Blogging can be a very impersonal affair at times and it means so much to me whenever I get the chance to meet folks in person with whom I've been corresponding!

MTV host disparages Purity Ring wearers, earns rebuke

I'm hardly surprised shock-artist Russell Brand said these things (he seemed to be on a mission to antagonize everything and everyone he could think of), but I am happy to see that someone was brave enough to call him out on the same platform so soon:

"While Brand’s political comments certainly brewed up a storm, what drew arguably the biggest response was Brand’s repeated jabs at the Jonas Brothers and the purity rings they wear as a symbol of their vow not to have premarital sex.

... Following Brand’s comments, American Idol winner and fellow purity ring wearer Jordin Sparks took to the stage, and before presenting an award, defended the evangelical Christian brothers with a quick statement [and drew applause]."

Sadly, the adjective Sparks chose to describe individuals who don't live chastely wasn't very charitable.

Brand, for his part, didn't know to stop when he was behind:

"[He] also encouraged Americans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the upcoming election, referred to George W. Bush as a "retarded cowboy fella" and took a shot at Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin and her pregnant daughter."

Some have already stepped up to give Brand the appropriate slap on the snout he deserves:

Rock for Life, a national pro-life music and advocacy movement that promotes 832 bands, is demanding an apology from MTV Music Video Awards host Russell Brand for his sexist, judgmental and intolerant remarks.

"Brand is a sexist pig who has been arrested 11 times, once for indecent exposure,” said Erik Whittington, director of Rock for Life. “He appears to care more about making crude jokes to gain attention than he does offending who choose to live a lifestyle different from his own lascivious past.” (American Life League)

Hopefully Brand someday discovers how to be funny without appearing like a bigoted idiot.

Welcome, Huffington Post readers

I was quoted extensively today for an article by Diane Tucker in the Huffington Post, "Palin Winning Over Twenty-Something Catholics." She looks at the results of a recent AmP Poll, and excerpts recent comments made about Palin's selection by you folks, my faithful papist readers. So go take a gander and comment if you wish.

Pope Benedict to visit Cagliari, Italy

Now that August is over, the Vatican is again sending out news bulletins. This Sunday Pope Benedict will be taking a trip to Cagliari, Italy for a pastoral visit:

On Sunday 7 September, Benedict XVI is due to make a pastoral visit to the Italian city of Cagliari, which lies on the island of Sardinia.

The Holy Father will depart from Rome at 8.30 a.m. whence an hour-long flight will take him to Cagliari. At 10.30 a.m. he is scheduled to celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria after which he is due to visit the chapel of the city's regional seminary.

At the seminary he will have lunch with bishops of Sardinia before going on to the cathedral of Cagliari to meet with priests, seminarians and the community of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sardinia, to whom he will pronounce an address.

He's also included some time with young Catholics:

At 6.15 p.m. the Pope will meet with young people in Piazza Yenne. His return flight to Rome is due to depart at 7.30 p.m.

Sounds like a fun vacation. My weekend is free...

Theology ... on a stick?!

... has almost no appeal to me. Especially when you read lines like this:

And the food for the soul will likely be more nourishing than the deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos that have been all the rage in fair food in recent years.

Hey - some of us haven't participated in this new food rage yet. Give us a chance!

"Contraceptives affect environment too, water expert tells conference"

Truth makes interesting bedfellows, in this case pro-lifers and environmentalists (and no, I'm not saying they're contradictory causes, I'm saying that often, sadly, the latter are at-odds with the former):

Mark W. LeChevallier agrees with Dr. Lester Ruppersberger, a pro-life obstetrician and gynecologist, that natural family planning is safe, healthy and effective. But he would add one more characteristic: It's environmentally responsible.

... In a talk with the daunting title of "Endocrine Disruptions: Chemical Contraceptives in Sewage Effluents," LeChevallier explained that like secondhand smoke, "secondhand estrogens are being released into the environment," to devastating effect on fish, panthers, alligators and other wildlife. (CNS)

I'm not sure I'd take it quite this far:

He said touting the environmental benefits of natural family planning "can be a new way to evangelize youths" and attract them to the church-approved method of postponing pregnancy.

The real way to attract them is the physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits, but sure - environmental as well. The rest of what he says is sound, informed and so desparately needs to be heard by our culture and youth especially.

WYD 2008 Concludes

And it went well:

• CNA: Final Mass was largest gathering of people in Australia’s history (~350,000)
• CNA: Next World Youth Day will be in Madrid (in 2011), Pope announces
• NLM: Coverage (with photos) of the Final Papal Mass at World Youth Day

There is already a facebook group lobbying for Houston, TX as the WYD host in 2014.

Cardinal Pell undescores the importance of campus ministry

From a Cardinal Newman Society exclusive:

George Cardinal Pell of Sydney encourages college students attending World Youth Day and emphasizes the importance of campus ministry work in an article prepared for the flagship publication of The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education, a division of The Cardinal Newman Society.

“I am deeply committed to what universities can do, and in particular to what Catholic universities can do,” writes Cardinal Pell. “I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of university education and the role of the Church in helping to form the next generation of leaders. For secular universities, this means a serious commitment by the Church to chaplaincy services.”

Speaking of college students at World Youth Day, Cardinal Pell writes, “I hope many of these pilgrims will come back to their universities and studies with a renewed commitment and energy to spreading the word on campus. Pope Benedict XVI is not only a wonderful pastor, but an intellectual in the best traditions of Catholic Europe and European university life. University students in particular will find much to inspire them and to pray about in the Pope’s teaching during World Youth Day.”

Cardinal Pell’s article, “World Youth Day and Catholic University Students,” will appear in the September issue of The Center’s Bulletin of Catholic Higher Education. An advance copy of the article is now available at http://www.catholichighered.org/.

It's an excellent point, considering that the vast majority of Catholic youth do not attend Catholic colleges, even "in name only" ones.

New title exposes the evils of cohabitation

Zenit:

Living together before marriage is a very common practice for couples in many countries. Many defend it on the basis that it enables the future husband and wife to get to know each other better.

Abundant evidence exists, however, that cohabitation is more of an obstacle rather than an advantage in preparing for marriage. Michael and Harriet McManus recently published “Living Together: Myths, Risks and Answers (Howard Books)", which documents their research on the topic.

Once again, experience and data prove the wisdom of the teaching.

Fallacious reporting: World Youth Day to drive upswing in Sydney sex industry

Good heavens. This takes the cake for stupid reporting:

NEWS.com.au says a report by Industry analysts IBISWorld predicted the 2008-09 financial year would see strong growth for brothels, strip clubs and prostitutes stemming from the Catholic Church's World Youth Day, primarily on the back of a marked increase in tourism levels to Sydney.

IBIS World senior industry analyst Ed Butler said the report did not suggest the 225,000 international pilgrims or clergy would be heading to brothels or strip clubs.
But the event, to be held from July 15 to 20, would also draw people from outside the church including tourists, support staff and media and some of them would use the sex industry's services.

"Any major event will drive tourism, which is closely related to the sex industry and World Youth Day will also bring out a certain number of non-religious people," he said.

The article at least has some sense that any connection between the two subjects is incidental:

"Growth would be estimated to be greater, but the religious nature of the event is likely to have a dampening effect on growth rates, as many of the visitors may have moral anxieties relating to this particular industry's services."

Ramada Khawley, function manager for strip clubs such as Men's Gallery and Pure Platinum, said she was not expecting an upswing in trading.

"We're not making any special preparations for World Youth Day," she said.
"But we'll keep a table reserved for the Pope."

Brothel madams spoken to by NEWS.com.au also expressed doubts that World Youth Day would be of benefit to their trade.

And it seems this is something they agree with World Youth Day organisers on.
"I'd be surprised if the sex industry gets a boost from a religious event," a World Youth Day spokesman told NEWS.com.au.

I'm guessing instead that people with "moral anxieties" about prostitution might discover a reason during the pope's visit to transform those anxieties into certainties about the immorality the practice.

Wait, let me rephrase that in a language that the reporters can understand: "World Youth Day may yield a significant increase in the certainty of individuals between the ages of 18-35 that brothels are 0% worthy of their patronage."

Much better.

Commentary: If Liberal Catholicism is Dead, then the Youth Killed It

Last weekend, David Van Biema posed the question "Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?". It's a very interesting essay, and has already received much comment, but I think there is a major flaw in his account of where things stand that I'd like to point out.

Bear with me as this will require a few lengthy quotations from his article. Don't worry, it's all on topic....

To begin, Biema claims that the trend towards liberalism started with the youth:

Vatican II meant even more to a generation of devout but restless young people in the U.S. Rather than a course correction, Terrence Tilley, now head of the Fordham University's theology department, wrote recently, his generation perceived "an interruption of history, a divine typhoon that left only the keel and structure of the church unchanged."

They discerned in the Council a call to greater church democracy, and an assertion of individual conscience that could stand up to the authority of even the Pope. So, they battled the Vatican's birth-control ban, its rejection of female priests and insistence on celibacy, and its authoritarianism.

One could dispute his historical claim, but let's move on for the moment with what he says (underlining mine):

To some extent, liberal Catholicism has been a victim of its own success. Its positions on sex and gender issues have become commonplace in the American Church, diminishing the distinctiveness of the progressives. More importantly, they failed to transform the main body of the Church: John Paul II, a charismatic conservative, enjoyed the third-longest papacy in church history, and refused to budge on the left's demands; instead, he eventually swept away liberal bishops. The heads at Call to Action grayed, and by the late 1990s, Vatican II progressivism began to look like a self-limited Boomer moment.

I would argue that what the liberals most faileded to transform was the next generation of the youth - the "JP2 generation" which followed the pope that Biema mentions. And not only did the heads at Call to Action gray, at the same time no young heads of hair were to be seen interning in the cubicles.

But my point gains more force as Biema unfolds his vision of the future:

The familiar progressives-versus-Vatican paradigm seems almost certain to be undone by a looming demographic tsunami. Almost everyone agrees that the "millennial generation," born in 1980 or later, while sharing liberal views on many issues, has no desire to mount the barricades.

Notes Reese, "Younger Catholics don't argue with the bishops; they simply do what they want or shop for another church." And Hispanic Catholics, who may be the U.S. majority by 2020, don't see this as their battle. "I'm sure they're happy that the celebration of the Eucharist is in the vernacular," says Tilley, "but they don't have significant issues connected to Vatican II."

Reese makes his point negatively, but I think it is more accurate to say that many young Catholics simply "agree with the bishops." It's not an issue of "not disagreeing with the bishops", as Reese claims. Young Catholics are active and passionate, and when they stay in the Church, they stay because they want to, because certainly they must resist a great deal of external pressure nowadays if they do.

Now here's the clincher (again, underlining mine):

And so, unless Benedict contradicts in Rome what he said in New York, the Church may have reached a tipping point. This is not to say that the (overhyped) young Catholic Right will swing into lay dominance. Nor will liberal single-issue groups simply evaporate. But if they cohere again, it will be around different defining issues.

"It's a new ball game," admits Steinfels. As Tilley wrote recently in Commonweal regarding his fellow theologians, "A new generation has neither the baggage nor the ballast of mine. Theirs is the future. Let's hope they remember the Council as the most important event in twentieth-century Catholicism."

That underlined sentence is what got me to write this post. Why, exactly, does Biema feel the need to claim that the young Catholic Right is "overhyped", I wondered? Frankly, I think it's underhyped.

I mean, how many times have you heard the mainstream presses clamoring about the young Catholic Right? Even once before the pope arrived, and a couple times (amidst thousands of headlines) when he was here? How can Biema predict that the young Catholic Right won't swing into lay dominance (whatever that means, exactly) when he has just noted, as we recall, the greying heads of Call to Action and the fact that Young Catholics who have stayed in the Church don't argue with bishops (again, I prefer to say: "agree with bishops")?

Biema, normally full of explanations, gives no reasons to support this hypothesis.

Instead, the ending quote admits that "it's a new ballgame" and that "[ours] is the future."

I think behind Biema's mistake is an underlying assumption that the only way for lay people to build up the Church is to resist the authority of the bishops and pope. However, the goal is not to "liberalize" the Church, but instead to perfect her, and that can be best done through following the authentic teaching and leadership of the bishops united with the pope. Liberals thought perfecting the Church meant one thing, and the young Catholic Right apparently think differently.

To make my main point once again: the youth are not ignorant and lazy if they are in the Church. They do remember the importance of Vatican Two, and they've learned from the mistakes of those who took it upon themselves to implement it their own ways.

And if they don't know about the Council itself, they have grown up suffering its effects. At the same time, however, they've discovered something else, something deeper, and something that keeps them coming back to Mass on Sundays. Not all of them, but enough to make a start. And they're having babies or becoming priests.

So, in other words, the future is bright, even if it's underhyped. Just give it a chance and some time.

As a postscript, I thought this news story today about a beatification cause being opened for a 21 year-old Spanish martyr was very much applicable to what I'm talking about. His dying words:

“I want nothing of this world. I belong to God and I live for God. If I die I will be totally God’s in heaven, and if I don’t die, I want to be a priest. We need saints!”

Now that doesn't need any hype.

Video: Cardinal Pell talks WYD and Text Messaging from the Pope

Ph/t: Pope2008 (which has more details):


Cool stuff, plenty to catch up on!

Pope Benedict plans Australian holiday prior to WYD

Sharp-eyed readers noted on this post that Pope Benedict will actually be in Australia a few days before he is scheduled to publicly appear at the 2008 World Youth Day activities in Sydney.

Now we know why - looks like he wants to make sure he's rested and ready for the youth:

Pope Benedict XVI will holiday at a secret location in Australia before World Youth Day in Sydney in July, event organisers said Friday.

Sydney Archbishop George Pell said the pope would arrive in Australia on July 13 and leave on July 21, taking three days vacation before attending World Youth Day.
Event organisers said the 81-year-old pontiff "has decided to spend several days preparing for his encounter with young people" following the lengthy flight to Australia from Rome.

"The trip to Australia will be the longest journey the Holy Father has ever undertaken," World Youth Day coordinator Anthony Fisher said, adding organisers had selected a holiday destination for the Pope that was "beautiful and suitable for the leader of the world's Catholics."

"He will have the opportunity to see some of Australia's beautiful flora and fauna," Fisher said.

"We cannot, of course, disclose the location; he is a head of state seeking private time and has asked that that privacy be respected." (AFP)

Lucky guy. Flora and fauna - what's not to love about that?!

(... and I hope someone manages to sneak a picture of Papa Benny in a hammock).

Pictures: Franciscan Univ. of Steuenville hosts Latin Mass

From Fr. Z:

He has more pictures and first-hand comments.

A seminarian blogs his experience of the Papal Youth Rally

In his own words:

Due to the generosity of my bishop, I was able to attend the Youth Rally at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers NY during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the USA.

I found this particularly amusing:

Here is a diagram to 1) give you a better idea of where I was and 2) put my stellar paintbrush skills on display. The yellow part is the buffer zone between the crowd and the Pope (there was actually Gold carpeting laid down here. The white at the top is the stage, and the white at the bottom is the gathering space.

Go visit his blog for the rest of his on-the-ground reporting!

A youth's first-hand account of the papal youth rally

This sent to me last night by an overjoyed Megan B., of Hyde Park, New York:

"Hello! I’m a long time reader of your blog and I wanted to give you some more details on the papal youth rally, which I was able to attend today.

First of all, it was absolutely amazing. It was like a giant 4th of July fireworks event, or county fair (including long lines for food!)

One of the things they didn’t show on TV (I don’t know if they mentioned it) was that there was also a prayer chapel and confessions available. The prayer chapel was a white tent with a gold tabernacle, a life-sized crucifix and big picture of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All day they had prayer services like meditations, songs, the rosary, and dance. I was with a group that did two prayer services, and people just kept coming in and out to pray.

Also, I’ve never been to a world youth day, so this is the most brothers, sisters and priests I’ve seen in one place! There were tons of priests/seminarians in cassocks everywhere. I also saw the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Sisters of Life, Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist (from Michigan!) and Mother Theresa’s sisters, the Sisters of Charity. I saw regular Franciscans, and also Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, including…Fr. Benedict Groschel! He passed by my area in a wheelchair; it looked like he was going to the VIP section.

It was also so amazing to see everyone’s shirts. Almost all the schools/parishes had personalized shirts. Some had the Christ our Hope logo, and the year and their parish name, there were jersey style “Benedict 16” shirts, I "heart" B16 (styled after the I love NY logo), “I’d rather be studying theology,” “I love Jesuits.” It was amazing. It really made you realize how many people there are that love their faith.

Besides the marriage vocation video, they also showed a clip of “God in the Streets of New York” by Grassroots Films. They also showed an interview with a friend of mine, sharing an experience of living the Gospel in daily life, specifically through sports.

Overall, the vibe was really great. The MCs were good, and they kept dangling Kelly Clarkson in front of the audience, but honestly, I think all the other Christian artists did a better job of psyching people up. What better way to prepare for seeing the pope than singing “Jesus Freak” with TobyMac, or the Apostle’s Creed with Third Day or “Here I am Lord” with Matt Mahr. The last one was the only song that everyone sang along with.

Once the pope arrived, we all just couldn’t stop cheering. I think we ran overtime because of that. The seminarians were the worst—I don’t know if you could tell, but the pope actually stopped at one point to let them finish the song they were singing—I think it was a Gregorian chant. The pope was definitely happy to be there.

Also, everyone got a good bag with:

• a bottle of water
• emergency poncho (which we used to sit on, since there was no rain)
• a white or yellow bandana (you can see them in the pictures)
• a 2-for-1 admission pass t the Cathoics in New York dispay at the museaum of the City of New Yorka prayer card for the pope's visit
• a "Come Follow Me" vocation prayer carda brochure and card about vocations to the priesthood
• the program book, which had the songs that were song with the pope, including "Happy Birthday" in German (you didn't think we all knew that, did you?)"

Thanks, Megan, for your wonderful account!

Video: Kelly Clarkson performs for Pope Benedict

Here ya go (link updated):

Thoughts on Pope Benedict's Speech to Youth

Quotations and comments:

"I am most grateful to them all. Also, I wish to acknowledge your singing to me Happy Birthday! Thank you for this moving gesture; I give you all an "A plus" for your German pronunciation!"

Ha!

My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion - before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror.

Pope Benedict is never afraid to use his own life and experience as an example to youth, good and bad.

The second area of darkness - that which affects the mind - often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth's place - or better said its absence - an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a "freedom" which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ's very being for others (cf. Spe Salvi, 28).

A favorite theme of the Holy Father: our freedom is meant to lead us to happiness, but it is a delicate possession that must be closely guarded and fostered. Freedom is not an end in itself.

The pope now focuses four "essential aspects of faith":

1. personal prayer and silence
2. liturgical prayer
3. charity in action
4. vocations (not just to the priesthood - to the married life as well)

In detail (my abbreviated quotations from the Holy Father's text):

1. What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer....Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.

2. Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work....Your faithful participation, is an active hope which helps to keep the world - saints and sinners alike - open to God; this is the truly human hope we offer everyone.

3. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move. The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ's eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice?

4. Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way - socially, materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.

To seminarians:

Gathered here at Saint Joseph Seminary, I greet the seminarians present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America. I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! .... Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others.

His final paragraph:

Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church's liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ's disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell, until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.

See you in Sydney (God willing)!

Liveblogging Pope Benedict's Youth Rally Remotely

*** The Live feed by the USCCB is here: http://www.uspapalvisit.org/ ***

6:30PM - Sorry to say that I must cease liveblogging at this point, but do continue to watch the feed!

5:55PM - We're watching five youths read the short biography of American saints, and meet the Holy Father.

5:40PM - A wonderful line from Cardinal Egan: "Here before you, Holy Father, is the hope of the Church in America!"

5:31PM - I can't believe it. He walked all the way down the "catwalk" platform to shake hands!

5:30PM - I've lost track of how long they've been cheering. Something rediculous like 6-7 minutes?!

5:24PM - He's taken the stage. One of the happiest I've seen him. He hasn't sat down yet.

5:15PM - Waiting to leave, he rolled the window down and continues to greet the youth.

5:13PM - Before getting in the popemobile, the pope made a run for the barrier and said hi!

4:59PM - He's leaving down the center aisle now. Blessing children like crazy. Seeking them out sometimes.

4:54pm - The pope is addressing the assembled youth with disabilities. It is actually a planned speech, and not "off the cuff" as the USCCB commentator's surmised. His speech gains force because you can here in the background some of the children, and see their parents caring for them.

4:47PM - The archdiocesan deaf choir is singing along with a hymn for the Holy Father.

4:46PM - Pope Benedict is receiving gifts from children. Super cute. He's all smiles.

4:29PM - Oh, and I just have to mention that in this lengthy promo video I appear TWICE! :-D

4:22PM - They're rolling a video promo for the next in World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. Contrary to what the commentators said - it's happening this summer (2008), not next summer.

4:20PM - Colleen Carroll Campbell has an excellent piece on what Catholic youth see in Pope Benedict, and what he expects of them. One of the best treatments I've read recently.

4:15PM - The commentators have been saying some helpful things. We're basically just waiting for the pope. I just read the pope's speech in advance - it's going to be great! Stay tuned to see if he adapts the text....

4:00PM - Here's an interesting move. They are playing a lengthy video about Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and her husband as an example of marriage. Pope Benedict has already spoke often about the importance of teaching young people about the full reality of marriage.

3:58PM - And that's it. She's gone. :-)

3:55PM - Back to familiar territory - Since You've Been Gone.

3:50PM - Kelly's taken the stage. Walk Away is her first song. Second one is a "more spiritual song" by the name of Up to the Mountain.

3:45PM - Kelly Clarkson is about to go on. I wonder what her selections will be?!

3:35PM - A few links:

• "Holy Father expected to address vocations in seminary in Yonkers" (CNA)
• "Warming up the crowd for the Pope" (OSV's Papal visit blog)
• "Grinding for God: Pope to get 'official papal skateboard' from youths" (CNS)

3:25PM - Three Graces have taken the stage. Opera, Pop and Broadway music. Nice combination.

3:15PM - Just caught the end of Fr. Stan Fortuna's set. I heard him perform a couple times at World Youth Day 2005 in Germany, and got to meet him. Cool dude. Here's one of his songs on YouTube.

Kelly Clarkson will sing for Pope Benedict

A little bird told me that Kelly Clarkson, pop superstar, will perform Franz Schubert's version of the Ave Maria towards the end of the Gathering with Youth and Seminarians program at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, with Pope Benedict XVI in attendance.

No word yet if the performance will subsequently be released as a single. ;-)

NBC Nightly News interview: the extended cut

Here is the extended cut of the interview I taped last week:



World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia is actually this summer, not next summer.

On the fly right now, just wanted to make the video available for those interested.

update: keep the interview requests coming, my email is "thomas [at] americanpapist.com".

Quote: Pope Benedict speaks to youth at his first Mass as pope

The claim has recently been made that "Some youth feel detached from the Pope", and while Bill Cork has already responded to this feeling.

I think an easy solution to this problem would be to listen to what Pope Benedict XVI only have to look as far as his very first homily as pope!

This is how he ended this speech:

[Pope John Paul II spoke] to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom?

And once again [John Paul II] said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.

And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen.

That underlining is mine. Notice how Pope Benedict is unabashed and bold in his defense of the claim that his "long pesonal experience" has revealed to him that no one should be afraid of friendship with Christ!

If young people are looking for a successor to Pope John Paul II, they've found him - it's Benedict XVI. So it's time to get attached! And as I said, a good start would be to read what the Pope has already said to young people. This book, (which I reviewed briefly here) is only $10, and collects the pope's recent Q&A sessions with youth into one handy little volume. A good read, and a great gift. Because no one should stay disconnected from him...

Commentary: Filling in the "generation gap" in the Catholic Church in America

Catholic bloggers have been doing an excellent job pointing out some of the fallacies and false oppositions being set out by the media in the advance days before Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States.

One uneven treatment that I think this blog is uniquely suited to address is well represented by this story by the Associated Press: "Generation Gap Shapes Catholic Church in America".

From the introductory paragraphs:

In his visit this month to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI will find an American flock wrestling with what it means to be Roman Catholic.

The younger generation considers religion important, but doesn't equate faith with going to church. Many lay people want a greater say in how their parishes operate, yet today's seminarians hope to restore the traditional role and authority of priests.

Catholic colleges and universities are trying to balance their religious identity with free expression, catching grief from liberals and conservatives in the process.

There is a little good mixed in with a great deal of bad here. That little good is the part about seminarians. But it makes them out to be an isolated phenomenon. Young lay persons, at least the hundreds I've encountered in my life, also want to see the traditional role and authority of priests upheld.

And while, on the whole, the younger generation (which I presume, must also include non-Catholics), "doesn't equate faith with going to church", there are also certainly hundreds (again) of youth that I have personally met who do. See the uneven picture emerging?

The article tries to broadly suggest a great deal of interest on the part of American Catholics in the figure of Pope Benedict, but a generally lax approach to following the teachings of the Church.

Again, my experience says otherwise, and while I'm limited to what I know (which is a good deal considering my years of blogging these issues), and is supported by the sheer numbers of individuals I know who actually subscribe both to the truth that Pope Benedict preaches and the life which results from the teachings of Christ.

Can the Catholic Church in America improve? Yes. Are the youth especially called to fidelty? Absolutely. But is it really such a lost cause? I would strongly disagree with intimations that it is. Consider:

Older Catholics who remember the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s are still debating its modernizing reforms. The council changed everything from the role of lay people to the direction priests face while celebrating Mass.

Benedict has revived some traditions and prayers that had been largely abandoned since Vatican II, refueling the debate.

But young adult Catholics are fed up with the fight, according to James Davidson, a Purdue University sociologist of religion who studies American Catholics.

This line of argument especially irks me, because it dismisses Catholic youth as being either uninvolved, uninterested or uninformed about these debates, or normally - all three. Well, try telling that to the "Whapsters" , or the kids at PhatMass, or me (frankly), or the amazing and brave young men studying for the priesthood, or the thousands of kids attending education at orthodox Catholic colleges, or the dozens (if not hundreds) of youth blogs who I've come across in these past years.

I'm not saying there's a silent majority here, I'm saying there's a very vocal minority. But passionate, creative minorities change culture too, and often, sooner. And my thousands of young readers don't waste time.

The article's explanation of the next generation of priests is especially lacking:

Monsignor Thomas Nydegger, vice rector of the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University, said seminarians today are reaching back in Catholic tradition — like Benedict does — for rituals and clerical garb they find inspiring.

But they blend that interest with modern church goals: to serve parishioners and the larger community and to reach out to people of other faiths, he said.

The author reveals his impoverished understanding of the landscape by using "but" to start the second paragraph. In fact, this interest in "modern church goals" is part-and-parcel with their devoted reclamation of traditions that were falsely discarded by the previous generation. And the mentioned goals aren't modern, they're ancient.

Moreover, this new generation has seen the projects of their predecessors, and has decided what works - not always the innovations of the last twenty years, but always the tradition that has inspired the Church to proclaim the gospel for the past twenty centuries. And yes, that can even include distinctive clerical garb.

The truth of what I'm saying is born out by the phenomenon of recent priestly vocations - the men coming into the priesthood are attracted to orthodoxy and tradition; and the same applies to catholic youth who stay within the Church. In other words, if you don't think being Catholic is important, you aren't very likely to stay. If you do stay, especially in today's hostile climate, it's a good bet you believe in what she teaches and strive to live it.

Before this gets too lengthy - okay, it probably already is - I'll respond to the final paragraph of the article:

One visit from Benedict won't solve the problems of the American church. But by coming to the U.S., he can show Catholics — even briefly — what it might be like to be truly united by faith.

Without realizing it, the author has stumbled upon a very true insight. Yes, one visit from the pope won't overcome the challenges facing Catholic youth in America in the 21st century. But guess what? You can listen to the pope when he isn't physically in your country. Some of us - *cough* - make rather a habit of following what he says, year round, even when he's Rome-bound. It's a good way to bridge the gap this author points out.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, bookmark AmericanPapist, and get the wider picture. Fill in the gaps!

DC Youth Papal Welcome Video Contest winners announced!

The proud papa let me know:

"My daughter and her friends produced a video to welcome the pope as part of a contest sponsored by the Archdioceses of Washington, Baltimore and Arlington for youth to participate in, and they won!"

Here is the official webpage for the contest. The winning video is the second from the top ("Seton School).

The happy kids:

"Seton School students Brian Nagurny, left, Kristie Ostrich, Mimi Myers, Libby Wittman and Olivia Aveni react on Thursday about winning a youth video contest [welcome Pope Benedict XVI]."

Local NBC 4 has text and DC FOX has video.

Congrats!

(and what about that papal skateboarding contest, you ask? that's next!)

[Photo credit: Donnie Biggs/News & Messenger]

"Catholic Students pledge 500,000 Hours of Service as Birthday Gift to the Pope"

Quite a social service bouquet:

More than 500,000 community service hours have been pledged by Catholic school students and other Catholic youths in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's 81st birthday.

he pope's birthday is April 16, the second day of his six-day visit to the United States.

Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, announced the number of pledged hours March 25 during opening remarks at the National Catholic Educational Association's convention in Indianapolis.

... Students choose how to spend their volunteer hours. Acts of service are broadly defined as anything that helps another person or improves the environment. Students are encouraged to conduct canned food drives, visit nursing homes, write letters to those in military service or to shut-ins, raise money for a charity or clean up a local park. (CNS)

Far be it from me to criticize a worthy effort, but I should hope that some of those hours of service might be spent in Eucharistic adoration praying for the pope's intentions - that's social service too.

And if you like this post, see my other recent posts on the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict to the USA.

Pope trip: NY youths submit designs for "Papal Skateboard Contest"

A glance at the Archdiocese of New York Papal Visit page reveals the normal list of expected topics such as "Ticket Information," "Press Releases," etc.

But what about "Papal Skateboard Art Design Contest"?!

It's true!

My personal favorite so far is this submission by Larissa - Age 12.

I'm pretty sure the charism of papal infallibility doesn't extend to being able to plant a double 360 pressure flip foot plant, but hey, stranger things could happen. Pope Benedict already has the shades.

The rest of the designs are viewable by clicking below. There's still time to submit yours!

In a similar vein (but not nearly as hip), the Archdiocese of Washington held a youth video contest.

*link removed*

update: sorry to say, the video previously posted here turned out to be a fake. good catch, readers.

Report: "Younger Catholics Becoming Increasingly Liberal, Studies Show"

An article published by the Christian Post today summarizes the findings of University of Connecticut Professor William d’Antonio in his recently released book American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Church, in which he claims to confirm a consistent trend: "...in every survey since 1987, younger Catholics have become increasingly more liberal and less practicing in their faith and values."

I have a couple reactions to his claims.

First, polls are never a guaranteed guide to assessing intangible attitudes like "liberal," and they normally ignore other salient aspects of the questions they attempt to directly answer. However, I agree that it is reasonable to claim there has been a general trend towards embracing "liberal" points of view among youth.

I have to wonder, however, if the end of this trend isn't already in sight. In many ways these polls reveal the long-term fallout of the sexual revolution and other social events from the 70's and 80's. As a result, the youth who are graduating, attending or entering college nowadays have had to more radically "choose" (and make sacrifices for) their faith. In other words, because of the many challenges leveled against religion nowadays, those who have remained faithful to conservative ideals and orthodox positions now constitute a vibrant, tested - albeit numerically diminished - force in today's world.

So I wouldn't count the battle lost yet. Indeed, they have not yet begun to fight.

One need only witness the active Catholic campuses, youth groups, websites, blogs, seminaries, young professionals and married couples to see the movement flourishing. And frankly, most of them are too busy living their faith to answer pollsters.

Pope to Youth: "Spe Salvi" Is for You

Benedict XVI is encouraging university students to have group reflections on the theme of hope in the modern world, using his encyclical "Spe Salvi."

The Pope spiritually entrusted his second encyclical to the young people today, in a traditional pre-Christmas encounter with Rome's university students.

...

"Is the theme of hope perhaps not particularly suitable for youth?" - Zenit

As I've said before, "Whatta Pope!"

Breaking out the big smile for the university students, too:

[photo: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia]

Protestants, Video Games & Moral Bankruptcy

Here's something. From CrunchyCon:

In a story that could have been lifted from The Onion, but in fact appeared in The New York Times, hundreds of Protestant churches are using the ultraviolent videogame Halo to lure teenage boys into church. No, really, I'm not making this up.

... This story reveals the idiocy and moral bankruptcy of the idea that you measure success by how many people you get inside the church door. The church should be standing against the worst excesses of popular culture, not participating in them. Show me a church that uses Halo as a recruiting tool, and I'll show you a church that almost certainly has nothing useful to say about the road to salvation.

I've played the first two Halo games, and I mostly did so to spend time with my younger brothers (who love the games). It's purely a "time waster" for me. And wasting time with your brothers isn't necessarily a bad thing. But video games are something you should grow out of, there's far more important things in this world, and frankly, far more constructive ways to "waste time." When my brothers go to their Catholic youth group, they don't go to play Halo - they can do that at home.

Church youth groups should be challenging their members to live better, nobler lives. Buying a big-screen TV, a copy of Halo, and some snacks is something anyone could do. Churches should do what they do best - bring young people to a personal relationship with Christ. Catholic youth groups do well to foster devotion to the Sacraments, encourage pro-life innitiatives, and provide a positive environment for peer interraction.

This situation described by the NYT article isn't so much a condemnation of young boys. Young boys like playing war. No, instead, this is a condemnation of protestant churches that have to resort to material incentives to get kids to come to church. Because, you know, that's what kids really need - more material incentives in their life.

In other words, leave Halo parties to the big brothers.

Pope Benedict to Loreto this weekend

Update: It looks like the kids in Loreto have already started the pre-arrival bash:

(REUTERS/Daniele La Monaca (ITALY)

CWNews:

Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Loreto, Italy this weekend for a gathering of young Italian Catholics.

The Holy Father will leave his summer residence on Saturday afternoon, September 1, traveling by helicopter to Loreto, on Italy's eastern coast. His weekend visit will include a question-and-answers session with the 800 participants in the "Agora" gathering, a time for private prayer in the Holy House of Loreto, and a Mass on Sunday morning. Pope Benedict will return to Castel Gandolfo on Sunday evening.

The "Agora" meeting is part of a 3-year campaign among Catholic youth, which in turn is the result of a pastoral-planning meeting among Italian Church leaders in 2006. The campaign, designed to reinvigorate the faith among young Italians, will continue through the World Youth Day observance in Sydney, Australia, in July 2008, and conclude with a final year of evangelization aimed at Italian youth.

Amy Welborn's new blog, "Charlotte was Both", has much more.

Next week Pope Benedict will be travelling next week to Mariazell, Austria, a popular Marian shrine that I was able to visit when I was studying nearby. More on that trip later.

Oh, and he's going to visit Naples in October.

Can Emeril break-dance like our priest-turned-TV-chef?

In what has to be one of the most colorful stories Catholic News Services has published in a while, comes the report about Father Leo Patalinghug, the "break-dancing, martial-arts guru who also happens to be a skilled cook." After you read the story, visit his website, "Grace Before Meals."

A summary of one of the shows: "Picky eaters. A mom who hates to cook. One jam-packed schedule. Father Leo helps a busy Maryland family learn how to ditch their fast-food mentality for a delicious Italian meal."

Videos here. And the blog (with recipes) here.

This sure beats Emeril. And Bobby Flay. But not David Rosengarten. No one makes a better BLT than him!

Pope Benedict praises Bl. Frassati as an example to youth

Dom, who has a devotion to Bl. Frassati, has a good post on the topic.

World Youth Day 2008: 425 days and counting!

Hey, it'll be here before you know it!

This is an overdue post on the topic of World Youth Day 2008, which will be held July 15th-20th in Sydney, Australia.

First, some recent updates. CathNews reports that they've chosen an official theme song for the event: "Receive the Power" by former Australian Idol star Guy Sebastian. According to the WYD coordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher, it "hits the mark on every level." [CNA has more.]

The song plays into the theme of this WYD, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).

While logistics planning for such a large gathering of youth is crucial, the apostolic nuncio to Australia recently told the Australian bishops' conference during its plenary meeting in Sydney that the real challenge is not organization, "but rather in integrating the event into the life of the Church." In this Zenit article, he begins to touch upon the wonderful creative and inspirational potential a well-executed WYD can have for its host country. I'll be praying that the fruits of WYD are especially made present to the Church in Australia.

Registrations for this year's WYD are already humming along, to the tune of 80,000. Twenty-seven thousand of those are from the U.S.

Now some good web links/resources:

• The Official WYD website.
• Wikipedia's WYD 2008 page
• The Vatican's WYD '08 page, with a very good information sheet.
• The USCCB page offers a PowerPoint Presentation here.
• Here is the text of Pope Benedict's message to youth from this year.
• At the bottom of this page are many archived stories related to WYD 2008.

I had the privilege of attending World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany, and am currently trying to find a good way to attend this one in Sydney next summer (any hot tips would be appreciated, of course!). One of my little brothers is mowing lawns this summer to raise funds for his trip.

I'll be adding this post to the sidebar soon and continuing to keep my eyes peeled for important WYD-related stories and opportunities. Please feel free to send in your own information as well!

I had intended to feature this "WYD SYD 2008 - 'Dare You To Move' Promo Video" to finish the post, only to discover upon viewing it that I'm actually in one of the short clips! Rock on, says I.

Kudos to the first person to find the (brief) footage of me...

Benedict to Focus on the Youth of Brazil

Update: Via the Whapsters, Brazilian bishops are trying to bid on hosting WYD in 2011. [More.]

"This is my first pastoral visit to Latin America and I am preparing myself spiritually to visit the continent where almost half the Catholics of the whole world, many of them young people, live." (my emphasis)

This statement, along with him pointedly referring to S. America as the "continent of hope", reveal one of Benedict's primary goals for his trip to Brazil: to proclaim the Gospel in all its power to Brazil's young people.
He has, for instance, scheduled a special meeting with 40,000 Brazilian youth in a soccer stadium, and I'm very interested to see what he has to say to them.

The AFP published an article today with some sobering statistics regarding the sexual practices of Brazilian youth. Now, admittedly, the survey that provides these statistics was requested by "Catholics for a Free Choice", a notorious group that specifically targets gatherings of Catholic youth. I remember when attending WYD 2005 in Cologne, Germany, that Catholics for a free Choice had plastered pro-condom/contraception advertisements all over the city. Amazingly some that I saw disappeared soon after.

Back to the survey, the AFP article quotes the head of the "Life and Family Episcopal Commission of Brazil's Conference of Bishops" saying that the Brazilian youths who were surveyed are "young people who say they are Catholic but do not practice Catholicism....They are Catholics only by name."

Other forces are trying to array against the pope, including self-professed feminists, homosexual-rights groups, "Catholics for the Right to Choose" (which could very well be the same as Catholics for a Free Choice), as this article details.

Meanwhile, the ongoing debate between whether the Roman Catholic population in brazil is declining sharply or "stabalizing" remains fierce. An emergent figure for the media to quote as the "Catholic who disagrees with Pope" is Father Jaime Crowe (known locally as Padre Jaime - picture), who Reuters (and I'm sure other portals) will be quoting often.

A quotation from the Reuters article, interviewing Padre Jaime:

The shantytown has many one-parent families, second marriages and teenage pregnancies. Drug and alcohol addiction is common, and violence is rife.

"How do we reconcile all that with the Gospel and not make people feel excluded?," he [Padre Jaime] said.

This article, and many others, also claim that interest in Pope Benedict's visit is much less than that generated by Pope John Paul II's (four) visits. But time will tell on that one - don't discount Papa Benny before he has his chance.

On a slightly related topic, things aren't all bad. Thirty-eight new recruits to the Swiss Guard were sworn in today, and Pope Benedict thanked them for "choosing to dedicate some years of [their] youth to the service of the Pope and his closest collaborators."

[photo: AFP/File Mauricio Lima]

More Ireland demographics

CWNews must have an active correspondent in Ireland or something:

Dublin, Apr. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Most young Irish couples lived together before marriage, according to a survey made public by Accord, the Irish bishops' agency for supporting marriage.

Bishop Willie Walsh of Killaloe, the president of Accord, said that the overall results of the survey were "clearly good news about marriage." He cited the strong majority of couples indicating that they were very happy with their marriages (77%), that the marital bond had strengthened their relationships (63%), and that they would recommend marriage to other couples (90%).

However the survey showed evidence that many couples took a casual attitude toward Church teachings on marriage. Some 58% of the couples surveyed had cohabited before they were married. And 7% of the children born to the survey respondents arrived before the marriage took place. About one-fourth of those surveyed said that they were "not at all" religious.

The survey also uncovered some concern about public policies regarding the family, with only 7% saying that the government currently does enough to support marriage.

The survey covered 712 couples-- 1,424 individuals-- who had been married within the last 7 years. Only 7% of the survey respondents had seriously considered divorce, but couples who were already divorced were not included in the polling.

And if you're wondering how Catholic statistics reflect the nation as a whole, well, Catholics make up 88% of the population.

Odd then, wouldn't you think, that "Irish church-state initiative begins with government meeting Protestant leaders" (emphasis mine):

Dublin, Apr. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Irish government has formally inaugurated an initiative of collaboration with religious leaders, meeting first with representatives of the Church of Ireland.

Prime Minister Bertie Ahern met with the Church of Ireland Archbishops Alan Harper of Armagh and John Neill of Dublin on May 23.

The Church of Ireland, a branch of the worldwide Anglican communion, represents just under 3% of Ireland's population, making it the second-largest religious body in the country. The Catholic Church forms an overwhelming majority, with over 88% of the nation's people. Irish government leaders will meet later with Catholic Church leaders.

I guess this is another proof that I'll never understand politics. :-)

A couple youth-related headlines

From CNA:

• Thousands of young Catholics pray at tomb of Pope John Paul II: "But," the prelate [Cardinal Dziwisz] asked, "what does John Paul II say to the youth today? Perhaps the same as he said on the first day of his papacy: 'you are the hope of the Church, you are my hope.' Today he tells you, be Benedict XVI's hope. Be the hope of the Church!"
• Be ready to follow wherever Jesus leads you, Pope tells youth, all Christians: The Eucharistic liturgy was attended by 50,000 pilgrims, the majority of them young people from Rome and other dioceses currently celebrating 22nd World Youth Day, which has as its theme this year: "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."