A sign of hope: young, Catholic & curious.

As someone who has taught introductory theology and lived alongside undergraduates in residential campus ministry for more than eighteen years, I am deeply interested in Davidson and Hoge's portrait of the generational differences among Catholics, particularly the distinctions noted between older and socalled "millennial" Catholics. In his Commonweal essay, "Ignorant Catholics" (April 9), my colleague John Cavadini underscored the need among millennial Catholics for basic theological literacy. That need often coincides with a deep spiritual hunger for meaning, purpose, and truth, which young people do not find offered in mass-media culture. The result is a sometimes uninformed but sincere openness to spiritual experiences of all kinds.

To meet the needs of this generation, an effective campus ministry must be developed, one that offers programs in Catholic spirituality--prayer and meditation, silent and "personal encounter" retreats, and social-justice advocacy--and also such widely divergent practices as adoration of the reserved Eucharist, evangelical prayer meetings, campus-wide Stations of the Cross, and discussions of Christian feminism. Some commentators worry that the conservative bent of some of these practices indicates millennials harbor a nostalgic longing for traditional Catholicism. But that is only one part of a complex story. As Davidson and Hoge point out, there is no statistical evidence supporting the idea that young Catholics are more traditional in outlook. In fact, the present generation of Catholic college students, for example, has an eclectic understanding and appreciation of a variety of liturgical "styles." While they are intrigued and attracted to mystery and to the majesty of rubric, gesture, and ceremony, the more informal postconciliar liturgy still appeals to them. At Notre Dame, strong attendance holds both for casual residence-hall Masses and for the more formal Masses at the university basilica.

There is a certain naivete about church authority among some millennials. Like many young people around the world, they exhibit an intense loyalty to Pope John Paul II. Even when they disagree with particular magisterial teachings, their respect and deference for the pope as a leader, pastor, and prophet remain strong. Despite the clerical sexual-abuse scandal, millennials also continue to demonstrate genuine affection for priests whom they know personally. That sense does not seem to extend to bishops, particularly those with reported roles in the scandal. One reason may be that most young people have no personal reference point from which they can defend the bishops. As for the priest shortage, millennials approach it pragmatically. I regularly encounter students who recommend that the church broaden the pool from which it draws priests, and point to the relatively late requirement of clerical celibacy in church history as a starting point for discussion.

The students I encounter who identify themselves as Catholic often do so happily and gratefully. Yet even their identification is tempered. As already noted, many seem ignorant of the basic theological distinctions, including differences among Christian traditions and between Christianity and other religions. For example, even those who can name the sacraments often cannot articulate a sacramental theology--a central, distinguishing tenet of Catholic belief. Further, these students have assimilated the culture's strong emphasis on the necessity and virtue of tolerance. When they first encounter the Catechism's teaching that the Catholic Church is "the one and only church of God," many find themselves conflicted. Nonetheless, I can report anecdotally one way in which this age group has attempted to understand Catholic boundaries. In our class discussions of divorce and remarriage, I have noticed in recent years a strong interest in canon law. The students seem drawn to its clarity and concreteness, and there is no shortage of casuistic questions concerning its intricacies. Far from seeing canon law as a potential source of nitpicking, students appear to appreciate its distinctive place within Catholicism. At Notre Dame's law school, enrollment in the introductory canon law course has doubled in the past five years. The professor who conducts the course regularly denies special requests for admission from undergraduates. Perhaps this interest in Catholic legalism reflects the need for boundaries; it may also be rooted in our culture's regard for law as the arbiter of individual values, choices, and beliefs.

While it would be premature to draw authoritative conclusions from the Notre Dame survey, I am heartened by the portrait it presents of young Catholics. They are a sign of hope. Our goal must be to address the obvious spiritual hunger of millennials through creative initiatives that reflect Catholicism's universal character. In this regard, I think the labels "liberal" and "conservative" are counterproductive. Rather, teachers, ministers, and others need to capitalize on the openness, sincerity, and religious curiosity of these young people, helping them to be at home in a truly Catholic church.

Mark L. Poorman, CSC, is vice president for student affairs and associate professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.