“Yet this is not the most important issue about the Gathering. Everything seems to indicate that there is general satisfaction in the mere fact that the event took place; just that and nothing more, as if that and no other motive had been the sole objective. Truly speaking, all the data brought up in this editorial could be called into question by somebody stubborn enough to do it – you can always find somebody willing to do it. But there is one totally indisputable fact: The tremendous truth that nobody seems to have even cared enough to examine the results of the Gathering.

          “Was the mere celebration of the event perhaps its only purpose to be achieved (conscious or unconsciously)…? It stands to reason, logically, that there must have been enough pastoral incentive concerned with the spiritual wellbeing of the Youth. If that has been the case, have the Pastoral analysts, once the event took place, meticulously examined its results – whether favorable or adverse, also considering the negative elements that coincided with it? And if so, where and when have the results of such investigations been made public? The truth is that the few persons who have dared to formulate some objections – almost always acting in good will – have been silenced immediately. They have been branded as pre-Vatican, traditionalists, enemies of progress, and, above all, strangers to the spirit of Vatican Council II. And it is common knowledge that appealing to the spirit of the Council is the perfect secret weapon brandished by progressive Theology to disqualify those who attempt to put up any objection.

          There is no doubt that the changes introduced by the New Theology, reflected, in turn, in the new Liturgy and the new Pastoral, have filled a lot of people with confusion. There are many sheep of the Flock of Jesus Christ that wander aimlessly. And yet, the same analysis cannot exactly be applied to the Youth. But how can be this assertion be reconciled with what we have said/been saying so far?

         Indeed, it cannot be asserted that the Youth of the present generation are disoriented – for the simple reason that they have never been truly oriented; for nothing can derail which has not been previously set on rails.

          They can shout from the rooftops that the Youth is with the  Pope; announce slogans presumably improvised by the Youngsters, like Totus tuus and similar ones; proclaim Manifestos elaborated at Youth Councils – which, in reality, rather seem to have been written by old people— and addressed to the adults or to a bourgeoisie enemy of progress, etc. And many other things could be done, following the guidelines of a triumphal train of thought which extends the ecclesiastical Springtime to the Youth as well.

          But truth, which irrefutably asserts itself through the evidence of the facts, patently shows that the Youth, at least in its majority, is neither with the Pope nor with the Church. This could sound awful to pious ears (piis auribus), which will insist on denying the reality, as in fact usually happens. Nevertheless, the problem with those in denial is that they usually do not explain things such as the total lack of vocations in seminaries, novitiates, and to consecrated live in general; or the Youth’s general abandonment of the churches, acts of worship, and the use of the sacraments. On the other hand, one can equally deny any aphorism, such as “the whole is bigger than its parts,” or the simple numeric addition of two plus two makes four.

          Nevertheless, it would be false, and unjust, to presume that all Youngsters and the entire Catholic Pastoral activity operate according to these parameters. There are still Youngsters and Catholic institutions of young people which keep the freshness and vitality of the Church of old; and the exhortation of Saint John the Apostle is still true: I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the Evil one.[1] But they are in the minority. If we refer to the Youngsters in general, to those whom we see every day, the analysis sketched above, far from merely being accurate, does not begin to reflect the entire magnitude of the problem.

          At any rate, everybody agrees that a mere critique does not solve any problem, which is true. But we only intend here to call attention to the possible need for providing Pastoral care for the Youngsters with a new approach. Perhaps the current Pastoral has some particular aspects which urgently need to be revised; which is why we are going to outline briefly some suggestions, solely with the good intention of contributing a little bit to a better solution to this problem, which, when all is said and done, is one most dominant in the life of the Church.

[1] 1 Jn 2:14.