As many people are aware, surveys are being taken throughout the world to canvas the views of the Young People™ who will be the topic of a synod be held next year in Rome. A few days ago, the Catholic Herald published an article about the results of the survey in England and Wales, made public by the local Bishops’ Conference, and what it says is not especially encouraging. NOT, I hasten to add, because of what the respondents to the survey said, but because of the analysis of it.
“Describing the two main groups, the report said the first is ‘a small but vocal group who want to draw the Church back into an era which they have been told (my emphasis) was far better than it is today’. The other group, which the report describes as ‘much larger, though less evident’ (come again?), adheres to the “predominant narratives in society, wanting the Church to follow suit”.
Of course, if this analysis is correct, it is appalling that the majority of young people in the Church today “adhere to the predominant narratives in society and want the Church to follow suit.” At the same time, it is also so completely unsurprising that one hardly bothers why they needed to have a survey to begin with. Chesterton very rightly once said “We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.” This statement is every bit as true if you change the verb “want” to “need”, and young people know this just as well as anybody else.
But frankly, I find the presence of that phrase “which they have been told” every bit as appalling. It carries a condescending assumption that if the Young People™ are looking back at the tradition and heritage which is rightly theirs, and which no one has the right to deprive them of, that they could not be doing so of their own initiative, but are ignorant and being misled. Again, if this is what people are hearing when they “listen” to the young Catholics who love the Faith and the traditions through which they live it, why bother with a survey? Or as this fellow put it (from the Catholic Memes Facebook page):
And this fellow as well:
In my humble opinion, we should strongly encourage the future participants in the Synod to watch this video from the folks at the hilarious Youtube channel Lutheran Satire, who have really hit the nail on the head when it comes to evangelizing the young. Perhaps as an ecumenical gesture to mark the fifth centenary of Protestantism...
“Describing the two main groups, the report said the first is ‘a small but vocal group who want to draw the Church back into an era which they have been told (my emphasis) was far better than it is today’. The other group, which the report describes as ‘much larger, though less evident’ (come again?), adheres to the “predominant narratives in society, wanting the Church to follow suit”.
Of course, if this analysis is correct, it is appalling that the majority of young people in the Church today “adhere to the predominant narratives in society and want the Church to follow suit.” At the same time, it is also so completely unsurprising that one hardly bothers why they needed to have a survey to begin with. Chesterton very rightly once said “We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.” This statement is every bit as true if you change the verb “want” to “need”, and young people know this just as well as anybody else.
But frankly, I find the presence of that phrase “which they have been told” every bit as appalling. It carries a condescending assumption that if the Young People™ are looking back at the tradition and heritage which is rightly theirs, and which no one has the right to deprive them of, that they could not be doing so of their own initiative, but are ignorant and being misled. Again, if this is what people are hearing when they “listen” to the young Catholics who love the Faith and the traditions through which they live it, why bother with a survey? Or as this fellow put it (from the Catholic Memes Facebook page):
And this fellow as well:
Hat-tip to the Hat-maker!
