The Pope met today with alumni of the North American College in Rome. The college, called NAC by its students, has graduated hundreds in the past 150 years of its existence. There is a reunion going on there now in celebration of its 150th anniversary, and the Pope met with them today at the Vatican.
One quote from the Holy Father: “… the Church in America is called to cultivate ‘an intellectual culture’ which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the profound harmony of faith and reason, and prepared to bring the richness of faith’s vision to bear on the pressing issues which affect the future of American society.”
Amen to that. We desperately need church leaders who are prepared to show how our faith and our ability to reason work in harmony to show us the path to take in so many thorny social and moral issues of our day.
As an aside, I studied at NAC and the Gregorian University from 1977-1978. Men who have studied at NAC are called “bags” derived from the Roman word, “bagarocci” (cockroachs). The native Romans thought that seminarians looked like cockroaches, dressed in their cassocks and the particular round hats that were required for so many years, so the name stuck. A student who prematurely discontinued his studies was called a “paper bag.” A student who studied there during a papal election and coronation is called a “golden bag.” I am both. I saw the deaths, funerals, elections and installation of three popes: Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II.
I prefer to think of myself as a “golden bag”!
Dear Golden Bag,
Thinking tonight about messages to our youth. I do read your blog and may not always offer diaglouge, but my question to you is how to we create a message and share that is more readible and sustaining to our youth? Or do we offer patience and hope they will believe as we do?
best
karenq
Karen, I wish I had a clear answer to your question.
History has shown that people of all ages respond to credible witness. John Paul II demonstrated this by his presence and interest in youth. Perhaps we all need to be more willing to speak clearly what we believe, more assertive in that way. Patience and hope are admirable virtues, but coupled with boldness in our proclamation of the truth render them effective.
The more we adults are clear witnesses to that which we believe, the more our youth hopefully will respond. I think a lot of us give mixed messages by our own submersion into the values of our consumerist/individualist culture.
I also think we adults have to keep the communication lines open to our youth. It can be hard to do, especially when they challenge some of our core beliefs and values.
I know there are readers of this blog who know our youth better than me. Perhaps they could offers some insight?