'Out' and 'In' In the Church

As the generations that are in leadership positions change, there are reasons to believe the tone and tenor of the Catholic Church in the United States will change dramatically. Here's a glance at the trends that are on their way out — and on their way in.

Out: Activists. In: Catholics who “get” Vatican II. As with every council in the history of the Church, it has taken Catholics decades to implement the Second Vatican Council.

That's because the first Catholics to try were stuck in a pre-Vatican II paradigm of the Church. The council reaffirmed authentic doctrine and let loose the laity to bring the Church's wisdom to the world. But activists who still identified Catholic faith-life with liturgical life thought they were being asked to bring the world's wisdom into the Church.

Led by Pope John Paul II, the newest generation of bishops understands the council properly. And the active lay Catholics of today are fresh from the apologetics movement, the lay movements and the mandatum schools that have bulging theology departments. They “get” Vatican II.

Out: Dissenters. In: Believers. The dissent movement's streak of success in the Church looks like it's about to end, also. That's because, for dissenters to succeed, two conditions need to exist.

First, a Catholic dissent movement can only grow if a large body of people feel a compelling need to identify themselves as Catholics, regardless of their beliefs. Second, a Catholic dissent movement can also only grow if the true faith is not being taught.

Well, today's generation doesn't feel the need to identify with one religion or another. And with the publication of the Catechism and the bishops' efforts to implement it, more and more people are actually hearing what the Church teaches. They either embrace the Church or reject it. They are less likely to try to do both.

Out: Northeast and Midwest. In: California and Texas.

Today, the “voice of the faithful” in America is often the voice of older Americans from the Northeast and Midwest questioning hierarchical Church structures. But tomorrow the “voice of the faithful” will be from Texas and California, reciting the rosary after Mass with Mexican accents.

We oughtn't romanticize these Catholics — they can fall prey to the same secularizing influences as previous immigrants. But there are many healthy tendencies in Latino and Filipino immigrants that can strengthen the Church — larger families, Marian devotion, an appreciation of the sacraments and respect for the Pope.

Out: Timidity. In: Vigor. Society's message to Catholics in the past several decades was clear: You can have your Catholic faith as long as you keep it quiet. It was easy to forget the value of the faith because it was neither praised nor attacked. That is no longer the case.

Today's Catholic children see faith affirmed and attacked in spectacular ways. The Passion of the Christ is the blockbuster sensation this year — and for the last three years the big movie has been the latest chapter in a mythology written by a Catholic devoted to Eucharistic adoration. On the small screen, children have snapped up the Bible-quoting series Veggie Tales and CCC's saints series. There are lots of new children's groups for Catholics, including Catholic Kids Net, and boys and girls clubs offered by a number of Catholic movements.

Simultaneously, today's children see overt attacks on the institutions of the Church that were unthinkable to recent generations. Cartoons lampoon bishops, priests and Christ himself. Expressing Catholic beliefs is off limits in Senate confirmation hearings, in university classrooms and in courts of law. Catholics are being denied the right to live their religious beliefs by insurance legislation and the regulation of ministries.

Increasingly, for today's children, faith is no longer something to be embarrassed about. It's something to be proud of and something to defend.

Out: Backward looking. In: Forward thinking. The Catholic Church is changing — and for the better. If we encourage the healthy trends and discourage a repeat of past mistakes, we'll find the Church's greatest days in America are in the future, not the past.