The title of this editorial could have been a different and more suggestive one: Popeboys; but that could possibly risk appearing as discriminatory to Popegirls; and, frankly, this is not the moment to be unfair, even if it is a completely apparent unfairness; truly speaking, girls are as much fans of the Pope as the boys are. The word fans, as everybody knows, is an unfortunate and affectionate barb: short for fanatics (of either sex). Consequently, it must be said in all justice, by replacing the more suggestive title with the one used here, we have taken into account the possible distress of the Feminist Movements.

            Be that as it may, we are referring here to that great number of Youth which, as the mass media reminds us with laudable frequency, overflow with outpourings of love for and devotion to the Pope. In spite of being so numerous, this Youth has the conditions to be considered as a compact elite, or, rather, a select group of praetorian guards (of both sexes, of course), whose profound  sentiment of Catholicity and affection would lead them even to give their lives for the Pope…if necessary. Fortunately, it has never been necessary before now to go that far; therefore, our statement is based upon mere conjectures which, nevertheless, have abundant elements of truth.

            The official Spanish Church is exceedingly busy at present, making tremendous efforts in getting ready a multitude of preparations whose purpose points at the happy ending of another extraordinary event: the celebration of another Gathering of the Youth with the Pope. We are referring here to the World Youth Day (WYD) which is scheduled to take place in Madrid in 2011. Given the remoteness of the date and the corresponding intensity and length of the preparations involved, it is easy to get an idea of the transcendental importance given to this event. Many who spend their lives worrying about the Youth, especially the customary alarmists who think that the Youth at large has abandoned the Church, see in this gathering a glimpse of hope and optimism looming on the horizon.

            Accordingly, and as one of the many preparatory steps, it has been announced that the Cathedral of Our Lady of Almudena (Madrid) will host the Cross of the Youth on September 14, 2009, after its transport to that place  by a group of enthusiastic young people on pilgrimage. This is just one example among the many which could contribute to dispelling the fears of the aforementioned alarmists who are always preoccupied –over-worried, according to many—  because the Christian spirit of the modern Youth, in their opinion, is almost non-existent.

            Those pessimists should be conveniently reminded of the Youth Meeting with the Pope celebrated in Sidney, Australia, in 2008. It was a tumultuous concentration of young people which, in spite of being so flamboyant and spectacular, was, nevertheless, outdone by the more grandiose event which took place in Cologne, Germany, in 2005, right after the election of Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope arrived in Cologne for the inauguration, sailing on the Rhine in a beautiful vessel escorted by five smaller boats, each one governed by a crew of the five continents. And we must not forget here the no less crowded, raucous, and enthusiastic Youth gatherings that the charismatic Pope John Paul II had the gift to summon during his frequent travels, which led to the hotheaded, strident feelings and exclamations, bordering hysteria, that occurred at the Pontiff’s death. We all remember the events of those days: Santo subito, santo subito! , was cried to the point of madness by the young crowd so filled with enthusiasm.

            And so on… Where is now, then, that quasi-apocalyptic vision of reality according to which almost the entire Youth has abandoned the Church…? Yet, notwithstanding what we have said, perhaps a calm and in-depth analysis of the real facts is called for here.

            From the moment Catholic Theology abandoned the Thomistic philosophy of being – a historical event coinciding approximately with the death of Pope Pius XII – and replaced it with the Idealist philosophy of appearing, the world, and the Church along with it, has become accustomed to granting more importance to the appearance of things or to the feelings those things are able to arouse than to their real content. Consequently, the true or authentic nature of things does not matter as much as what one merely decides (wishes) to think about them. In the particular case of Pastoral activity –with which we are now concerned—, when it comes to preaching, for example, the fact that  the proclamation of the truth does not matter as much as the on-the-fence crowing and chattering about what people wish to hear has become something normal.

With these premises, and given the (very real) dangerous possibility that perhaps we are in the midst of a new, propped-up spectacle or show, without even intending it, prudence seems to advise examining the results of this new models of ecclesiastical activity – with great serenity and firm peace, of course, but also with no less abundant love for the truth. And this should be carried out in order to avoid the painful probability that, when all is said and done, the sole consequence of so much activity is the moving around of great masses of young, passionate, and hotheaded people, albeit devoid of any authentic Christian life or content…or, at best, with a mere superficial layer of it. In few words: could it be possible that we are contemplating a case of Youngsters more inclined to raucous activities and having fun than to true affection and devotion for the Pope…? And perhaps the greatest degree of blame should not be laid at their feet. Let us examine this next.