'Catholic Church losing influence over youth'

By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated November 16, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (52)

MANILA, Philippines - Fr. Favie Faldas, an organizer of the National Youth Day (NYD), admitted yesterday that the Catholic Church is losing influence over the youth because of their exposure to the Internet and the popular social networking websites where they see other people standing up against the teachings of the Church. Faldas, head of the NYD Steering Committee, said social media reportedly show that it is possible to stand up against religious teachings. He said that unlike before when people would not dare speak against the teachings of the Church, now more people are bold enough to openly challenge the Catholic Church. Faldas told the Catholic Media Network (CMN) forum that the information highway is open and anybody can post any information, good or bad, and that is why when the Catholic Church would jump on it, it would lose. This postmodern age, we might come to the point (when) its not any more the Church age, the Church has lost its voice in a certain way. Maybe in our country, the Church is still strong but worldwide, we could see in other countries (the Church has lost its voice), said Faldas. Faldas said that going against the bad influences coming from the social media websites like the very popular Facebook and Twitter could be an uphill battle. He said that it is a tough challenge not only in the Philippines but also for other countries. Faldas attributed this latest development to secularism. He said abortion is now accepted in many countries, even in Christian countries. This is already a sign that the influence of the Church, even in the predominantly Christian countries such as Spain, (is weakening). They openly defy the Church, before nobody would have the courage to do that. The priest said social media are one of the factors that contributed to the weakening influence of the Catholic Church. Faldas said once the defiance against the Catholic Church becomes public, a lot of people become aware that going against the dictates of the Church is possible. This is what is happening to us here. Now others have the courage to come out and speak their mind, he added. Faldas said the growing number of social media networks would undermine the Catholic Church unless the Church does something.

He said the Catholic Church does not get enough attention from the media or does not get enough prime time so it is unable to reach its maximum capacity. Faldas said one way for the Catholic Church to strengthen its crusade is by educating the public and even attempt to fight the social networking websites in the Internet. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has come up with the www.youthpinoy.com website to intensify its education campaign. He also believed that there are international funding organizations that want to reduce the Catholic Churchs influence. I dont want to name my sources but this is also a way to put down the influence of the Church because they want to put up their own agenda. For example, there are international agencies that are behind the Reproductive Health (RH) bill so that by funding to promote the RH bill, they are funding to put down the Church, Fr. Faldas added. The Catholic Church hierarchy in the Philippines is strongly opposing the passage of the RH bill that it believes would promote the use of contraceptive and abortion-enhancing drugs. Several proposed RH bills are being deliberated in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Is the Catholic Church losing our younger generation?

Is the Catholic Church losing our younger generation on some very important issues? In terms of numbers, yes. It's probably not news to anyone that an increasing number of young people are gravitating closer to Hollywood values and than they are to Gospel values. With regard to premarital sex, this has certainly been the case for three to four decades. However, a new attitude is emerging about the very essence of marriage. This, to be sure, has far reaching consequences. But I have to wonder if the Catholic Church is on top of it. I have not witnessed an urgency proportionate to the crisis at hand among our Shepherds. Keep in mind that this same Church was slow in responding to the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Luther broke away from the Catholic Church in 1517. Soon thereafter, an avalanche of Christians leaving Mother Church was well underway. By the time the Catholic hierarchy took the crisis seriously it was in 1545. It was at this time they convened the Council of Trent. But much of the damage had already taken place. Again, I wonder if Catholics are finding themselves unprepared for another storm. Let me explain. In a Fox News article, I discovered that my personal experience as a faith formation teacher was not an isolated one. The Pew Research Center Poll found that Americans were opposed to gay marriage by nearly 2-1 a decade ago, the latest poll showed 45 percent in support of it, with 46 percent in opposition. No doubt, gay rights activism has long advanced its cause through the entertainment culture, the media and in universities. However, in public high schools, and even in the lower grades, the gay rights agenda has become part of the curriculum. Even here in Northeast Wisconsin, which, I believe, is considered part of the heartland, educators celebrate a gay rights day. Now, if the heartland is regarded as mainstay of traditional values, certainly the East and West coast in America is even more aggressive in pushing gay rights. To be sure, the social agenda is every bit as important, if not more so, than academic excellence in public education. Whenever I can, I seek to find out where the younger generation is on the issues. In my faith formation classes I took surveys on my students views- ages ranging from ninth and tenth graders - on same-sex marriage and cohabitation. Two years in a row the majority of my students opted in favor of both lifestyles. Now, the parish I belong to is considered to be a flagship parish of the diocese; that is, a parish that the bishop sets up as a model to be imitated. Indeed, it is a Christ-centered, orthodox parish. But the public school students who have attended its faith formation classes on a weekly basis have been, at least with regard to sex and marriage, more influenced by Secularism than by Catholicism. To interject a positive note: There is little doubt that God is raising up a new generation of youth and young adults in the Catholic Church. These young men and women who are devoted to Christ and the mission of his Church are, in my opinion, the most zealous and well formed youth we have seen in centuries. With that said, however, I also believe they are a remnant in comparison to the scores of adolescents and young adults that are being lost to the world.

As the Pew Research Center Poll indicates, gay marriage is gaining acceptance in our younger generation. Although the majority of California citizens voted for Proposition 8 (a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in 2008 which provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized) 66 percent of voters under the age of thirty voted against it. When this younger generation comes of age and assumes key leadership positions in our country, the campaign to redefine marriage will be close to being realized. Keep in mind that if a redefinition of marriage succeeds, it also succeeds in redefining the image of God; which, as we know, is the union between a man and a woman. After all, it is through the father and the mother that a child comes to know God, the world and himself. When this image is blurred then the perception of God and the world is blurred as well. Therefore, the redefinition of marriage has far reaching consequences. Another disturbing trend which is emerging in tandem with the growing acceptance of samesex marriage is more and more couples are choosing not to get married. They are simply cohabitating. We should expect this if marriage is arbitrarily defined to include homosexual unions. People intuitively know that if something is subject to change because of a little political pressure here and a little social pressure there, then it is not that important; certainly not important enough to make sacrifices for it. Not only is the incentive to get married lessened, but the will to have children is challenged as well. This, we have seen in Europe, Japan, Russia and we are seeing the beginnings of it in America. The Western population is aging quickly; or one can say- dying! We have seen that some significant social shifts are occurring. But where is the Catholic Church in all of this? Or a better question might be: Are Catholics equal to their mission? I do not get the sense that leadership in the Church- both clergy and laity are ahead of this curve. Sermons, pastoral letters, ecclesiastical documents and even papal encyclicals have not addressed these trends head-on. There is still a great deal of reluctance to offend people. And I am afraid that this trepidation of speaking and writing about these issues forthrightly plays no small role in the decline of Western Civilization.