The Young Adults pages are intended to be read primarily by persons from 18-39 years of age. They are not intended to be read by persons aged 13 or under.

Claiming Our Roman Catholic Faith
A Working Paper on Young Adult Catholics
and the Crisis in the Church

Suzanne MacKay, Katie McCarthy, and Suzanne Morse

Young adult Catholics are experiencing the current crisis in Roman Catholicism differently from their counterparts in other generational cohorts. While no less horrified by the failings of the Church hierarchy, younger Catholics have come of age during a time of tremendous cynicism and lack of trust in all social institutions. Adult Catholics who were confirmed during the 1980's and 1990's find themselves alienated from the Church, much as they find themselves alienated from the organs of government or from their communities - to a large extent, the Church is influenced by modern society's disempowerment of its youngest members. Unlike their parents or grandparents, many younger Catholics did not grow up in communities where the power of the Catholic Church or the priesthood went unquestioned.

While recognizably influenced by society, the Church does contribute to the alienation of its younger members. Post-Confirmation, the Church does little to keep young adults engaged in the faith. This, again, is not so much the fault of theological belief or Catholic doctrine but of a top-heavy hierarchy that does not seem to understand the pressures and influences young adults face in contemporary society. Little is done to encourage an adult Catholic spirituality or to promote an idea of faith that interacts with and illuminates the difficult choices that individuals face when it comes to fundamental questions of social justice, sexuality, career choices, and the common good. The rich tradition within the Roman Catholic Church of critical inquiry, educational enlightenment, and thoughtful discourse is not being transmitted to the next generation. Instead, a Church that seems hesitant to have members who are willing to question and brave a deeper understanding of the nuances and intricacies of the Christian faith has replaced it. Startlingly, the implicit message emanating from the hierarchy with regards to younger Catholics is that if young adults do not actively seek out the Church, then the Church should just let them go.

The danger, then, for young adults regarding this current sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church is not that they will feel betrayed by the failings of the hierarchy as older Catholics have. Rather, it is that young adult Catholics might see this betrayal, in combination with the Church's indifference to the experience of younger Catholics, as enough reason to disengage from their Catholic faith. Most Catholics in their twenties and thirties are Catholic by choice - they decided, upon Confirmation, that they would accept the Church as beneficial to their lives and their salvation, despite the awareness of flaws as are present in every institution. However, the current crisis in the Church revealed failings of a magnitude that to support this religious organization 'as is' would require a denial of the Christian call to love and serve the lowliest. Furthermore, the scandal reveals hypocrisy in an institution that sets itself up as a moral arbiter. If the Church decides to continue to refrain from addressing the needs and unique position of Catholics born in the 1960's and 1970's, they might lose their next generation of leaders and supporters. Younger Catholics disgusted with the actions of the hierarchy may abandon the Catholic faith, despite the numerous graces it offers: sacramental life, community, social justice, and tradition, to name a few.

Despite the fact that they are adults by virtue of their age and their status as confirmed members of the Church, Catholics who are between the ages of 18 and 39 are generally considered to be the future of the Church, rather than the present. Several factors may have contributed to this, including a decreased participation in parish life by the young; the perception of today's young adults as "slackers"; and the smaller numbers of Catholics who are in their twenties and thirties, as opposed to the large numbers of the Baby Boomer population. Once a young adult Catholic begins to raise a family or reaches the late thirties, perceptions of his or her ability to participate in the Church change. One young Catholic described this situation as being "post-Confirmation, pre-Cana." While not limited to single Catholics, the situation is particularly acute for those who have not married. Although society trends toward a later marriage age, the belief that marriage is the preferred state for Catholics is still popular. With Church programming and discussion seeming to ignore the single vocation, or treating it as merely a 'transitional' or 'waiting' period, the Church demonstrates that its expectation of the potential contributions of unmarried Catholics is small.

One other factor that may contribute to the view that young adult Catholics are not part of the current Church is that Catholics in their 20's and 30's were raised in the post-Vatican II Church. Their experience of the Catholic community is vastly different from that of Baby Boomers and the World War II generation. Older Catholics lived a Catholicism that was a "tight-knit culture system" and developed a new Catholic identity after the second Vatican Council. Few young adult Catholics experienced this; rather, they are the products of this experience. In essence, while the basic faith has not changed, the culture and its accompanying "rules" have. A wide gulf exists between what it means to be a Catholic to a person in his or her 50's and what it means for a Catholic in his or her 20's.

Bridging this gulf raises questions that must be addressed by the Church if young Catholics are to become fully participatory members of the Church. How does the Church address the issues facing younger Catholics? Given the prevalent view of the Church that they are the 'future,' how can this be done without lecturing? Must the Church adapt its rhetorical style to address young people? Clearly there is a gap between generations in the Church. Is communication the root cause? Are there similar problems facing Protestant denominations, the Orthodox churches, Jewish, or Muslim faiths? How have these groups dealt with them?

The impact of the current Church crisis upon this young adult cohort also ought to be considered. Regrettably, members of older generations were also abused; however, the majority of cases brought to light in recent months have involved Catholics - or former Catholics - who are currently in their 20's and 30's. There has been little talk in the media or among Catholics about what consequences abuse might have on a victim's faith - or on the faith of his or her peers. The victims have become the proverbial "political football" around which much of the wrangling about the future of the Church has taken place. These victims are not symbols, but people, whose faith lives have been affected and must be considered when speaking about them and their peers.

Hoge et al, determined that "most young adults like being Catholic and cannot imagine themselves being anything other than Catholic. The overwhelming majority see the sacraments and devotion to Mary as essential to the Catholic faith." That so many young adults feel and are choosing estrangement from the Church is a crisis in itself. The consequences of this loss will be significant, both in the diminishment of the Church and in the impact upon the lives of the individuals bereft of the graces that can accompany Church participation.

Recognizing that this 'lack of fit' between many younger Catholics and the Church does not stem from Church dogma, ways need to be found to re-connect the institution and the young adult cohort. The key question is: How to create a Catholic Church that is interesting, adult and real, that serves the world, and feeds young Catholic adults' spirituality? The answer requires effort on the part of both young adults and the Church. Young adult Catholics must be willing to take responsibility for the present and the future of the Church, and at the same time the Church must become more responsive to the needs and concerns of younger Catholics.

Young adults must be prepared to take responsibility for the church. That is, to actively engage in the Church in our role as laity, to communicate our hopes and desires to Church leadership, and to be proactive in making reality the future of the Church. Why should young Catholics assume this responsibility for the Church? The answers are as varied as the number of young adult Catholics. Among the most important are the desire to be part of a church with a rich and deep tradition and sense of history, the longing for a spiritual community, as well as the understanding that effort is required as part of a mature faith. Indeed, the laity is invested and charged with a responsibility to participate in the evolution of the Church.

So, too, the Church must be responsive to young adult Catholics. The leadership of the Church must accept and include younger voices as the voice of PRESENT Catholics, with a legitimate and vital role in the Church and in the Catholic faith. The Church must also recognize and respond to the realities faced by younger Catholics today in order to help them address the question, "How do we live as Catholics in this world?" This can be achieved in four ways: education, dialogue, opportunity for involvement, and ownership of wrongdoing.

Education is the cornerstone of an adult faith. The religious formation of most young adult Catholics ends at Confirmation. To encourage continued growth and a deepening of one's spirituality and relationship with God, the Church must make a commitment to provide ongoing catechism and spiritual education beyond Confirmation.

Dialogue is an important means to engage young Catholics, and it is fundamental for the development of an adult faith. There has been limited room in the Church for dialogue about the issues confronting young people today, such as sexuality, birth control, abortion, marriage, divorce, children, and alcohol/drug abuse. The absence of open and honest dialogue in the Church is discouraging to many young adults, and encourages the perception of the Church as autocratic, paternalistic, antiquated, non-responsive, and rule-based. The complex issues in today's world require serious, thoughtful treatment. Young adults want to better integrate the teachings of Jesus into their lives, but cannot do so adequately in the absence of real dialogue. Simplistic solutions that are handed down seem trite and irrelevant to the daily challenges faced by young adults. Real solutions that are rooted in spirituality, not simply rules, can only be discerned through a process of dialogue between the Church and young adult Catholics.

Young Catholics must also be given the opportunity to participate in the Church in a significant way. The Church must actively seek out the participation of young adults in lay leadership, as well as in the sacramental life of the Church. The social justice ministries of the Church also provide an important means to engage young Catholics. It is through active participation in the various ministries of the Church that many young adults are able to understand the relevance of the Church and the sacraments in their lives.

Finally, the Church must take responsibility for its failings and structural inadequacies in the present sex abuse scandal in order for young adults to take the Church seriously. Young adults want a Church that leads by example - one that holds itself to the same high standards that it embraces for others. How can young Catholics be convinced that the Church's teachings and sacraments are intact and relevant, despite the imperfect structure? Why should young adult Catholics remain in a flawed and hypocritical church? In many ways, the scandal has provided the Church with an opportunity to demonstrate leadership, integrity, responsiveness, and humility. However, if the Church fails to assume responsibility for the crisis and take the appropriate steps to address it, the Church will lose a unique opportunity to instruct and engage the young Faithful. Indeed, the consequences will be the further alienation of young Catholics and a loss of faith in the Church by this generation.

To act on these initiatives will require a shift in attitude in the Church, as well as certain structural changes. Priests ought to be given the tools and the support necessary to address the complexity of the issues facing parishioners today. Education of Catholics must be viewed as a lifelong endeavor that is essential to the development of a mature faith. The role of the laity in Church leadership and decision-making must be redefined to ensure that the Church is in step with the needs of today's Catholics. Questioning the Church and the Catholic faith must be tolerated and encouraged, and a forum for honest dialogue with the Faithful must be created. Finally, the hierarchy of the Church must return to service of the Faithful, instead of protection of the institution. While difficult, these steps will ensure that the Church remains relevant in the lives of this and future generations of young adult Catholics. It will also make reality the hope for a Church that is interesting, real and adult, that serves the world, and feeds its members' spirituality.

Furthermore, it should be said that young lay Catholics recognize the authority and tradition of the Church in matters of theology and Catholic moral doctrine. However, the decisions made by the administrative hierarchy of the Church have had a significant impact on the physical, psychological, moral, and spiritual well being of the laity. Given the grave impact of the Church's decisions, the voice the laity seeks is legitimate insofar as it does not usurp the appropriate range of the Church's authority. For example, decisions regarding the treatment of sexually offensive priests and the appropriate management of Church funds are not decisions of theological belief or Catholic moral doctrine. Rather, administrative decisions are decisions of practical prudence. Since Catholic thinkers like John Paul II, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Augustine acknowledge that all people endowed with reason can possess the prudence necessary for concrete moral decisions, no special moral or theological authority is required for these types of practical decisions. As such, it is legitimate that younger Catholics and indeed all of the laity should be able to contribute to the administrative decision-making processes that affect their lives in the Church.

For young adult Catholics, three choices remain. The first choice is to continue to accept the under-served and shrinking role that has been typical of many Catholics of this generational cohort. The second choice is to further distance themselves from the Church through apathy or despair. The third choice is for these Catholics to claim their faith, contribute their talents and voices, and assist the Catholic Church in its God-given mission to serve and to love.

The attempt here, then, is not to detract from the Roman Catholic Church, but to make it stronger - to make it the Church that allows all Catholics to exercise the Christian faith in the most moral, ethical, and publicly responsive way possible. It is to follow in the tradition of the great Catholic thinkers who have asserted the people's rights to be responsible for the Church. For this, the diversity of opinions from the spectrum of younger Catholics should be voiced - from those who have lapsed, those who are semi-practicing, and those who are fully engaged with the faith. The yearning of these young adult Catholics is not to formulate a new doctrine, but to create a new structure, a strongly intergenerational Church where laity and clergy alike can participate fully in the grace of the Catholic Church.

1Dean R. Hoge, William D. Dinges, Mary Johnson, S.N.D. De N., Juan L. Gonzales, Jr.; Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice; (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001), p. 222. 2Hoge, et al, p. 218-19.