Do I subscribe to the “Pick ‘n Pray” phenomenon?

I sat, intrigued, and watched the closing mass of WYD in Madrid. It is an amazing moment to see over one million young Catholics gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. Many reports and reflections have been written in recent days about the experiences of WYD. For some it was a moment of conversion, for others a tangible and enthusiastic encounter with the world wide “body of Christ” and for others the excitement of celebrating mass presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. Young people, from all over the world, will take home stories, experiences and memories from what many called a “chance in a lifetime”. Some have described the gathering in Madrid as a sign of the “youthfulness and bright future of the Church”. This may be true but there are some questions worth pondering about this event and the seeming contradiction I become aware of after watching and reflecting on the Pope and the youth gathered at this mega mass.

Pope Benedict deeply values the tradition of the Church and her teachings. He had the reputation, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, of being a great apologist and symbol of the unchanging truths of the faith. He was not afraid to challenge (publicly) theologians who seemed to be out of step with the Church’s teaching. He is a man of deep faith and trust in the Church and believes with conviction in what the Church teaches. Much of his life’s work, as a theologian and later Cardinal Prefect and now as Pope, has sought to deepen and defend the Church’s traditional teaching. His reputation as the “Rotweiller” was because of his defence and espousal of the teachings of the Catholic Church. In his papacy we have seen his strong sense of tradition over and over again in word and action – from the pallium that he wears and the way he celebrates mass to his openess and desire to dialogue with the St Pius X Society. As I watched the crowds of young people from all over the globe I could not but help wonder how many young people even begin to understand what he stands for and, more acutely, share this ecclesiological understanding. I wonder how many young people at WYD live the faith, in praxis, that Benedict XVI stands for? It’s an uncomfortable question but one we can’t simply ignore because it really probes what young people seem to be thinking or suggesting about what “the church” really means to them. Their decisions point to a different understanding – or so it seems.

In my experience as a university chaplain I am often aware of the seeming clash between young people’s view and praxis and the view and praxis espoused by the “official” (for lack of a better word!) Church. No place is this more obvious that in the moral/ethical dimension. Many young people have heard what the Church has to say but chosen not to use this age old wisdom in their own praxis. There is a real gulf between the tradition (official position) of the Church and the lifestyle and choices that many young people make today in areas like, for example, premarital sex and contraception. They also hold different views to the Church on things like homosexuality. These decisions at odds with church teaching are not just being made by youngsters at school and university -they are also being made by young married couples in parishes who are active members of the parishes they attend. It’s not simply just a matter of “bad catechism” but a conscious choice to live in a space that clashes with the Church’s tradition. Some might call it the “pick ‘n pray” phenomenon. Yet it is a growing phenomenon and one which certainly clashes with the understanding and mindset of Pope Benedict XVI.

There is tangible dissonance that seems to lurk just beneath the surface in the Church and it is made manifest more acutely, it seems, when over a million young people gather for an event like WYD with the Holy Father.

I am not suggesting that every young person who went to Madrid is not living the teaching of the Church or that it is simply a “plastic” or meaningless gathering. I believe that it did many young people much good and it is surely a sign that young people do value religious belief in a world which is less and less comfortable with belief. It is, I would hope, a heart-warming moment for any Catholic to see so many people gather around the universal pastor of the Church to celebrate and worship. Yet we cannot deny that there is a growing clash – and some might even say contradiction – between the profession of faith and the praxis of that faith for many Catholics. Perhaps it is something we prefer to ignore or are afraid to acknowledge because there is a certain discomfort that we do not want to have to deal with. Perhaps living in the clash, rather than probing it, feels less unnerving.

Let me offer another example from my work with students. It is no secret that the laws of the country and the tradition of the Church are often in conflict when it comes to biomedical matters. In dialogue with students I often find that they, who know the teaching of the Church on these matters, have chosen to adopt a view which would be in direct conflict with that teaching and are comfortable to live in the space and still classify themselves as faithful Catholics. It is a moment which, hopefully, is an opportunity for some ongoing serious reflection and teaching but the fact that many would know the teaching of the Church, regularly attend mass and classify themselves as “good Catholics” yet knowingly choose an opposing view and live comfortably in that space suggests that there is another sense of Church lurking. It may be one we don’t like or we disagree with or even condemn but we cannot deny that it is a reality and the lived experience of many young Catholics – some of whom were undoubtedly in Madrid.

What does this reality suggest? I am not sure: that there are multiple ecclesiologies at work? That young people are on the edge of an emerging and new understanding of Church that will not be shared by people like Benedict? That young people are misguided and badly catechised? That evangelisation is not being done well? That we live in a perverse generation? That secularism has colonised our minds? That the Vatican and Pope don’t really know what is happening on the ground? That people are choosing to reject the tradition of the Church and dissent? I guess there might be as many views as there are Catholics. It is an intriguing question and one that we would do well to grapple with. Like it or not it is a reality and an uncomfortable clash which we have to face at some point.

Perhaps another reflection that WYD can leave us with is an uneasy one: do I subscribe to the “pick ‘n pray” phenomenon? Is there a gulf between my profession and allegiance and the lived praxis thereof? Our personal answers are worth pondering…