Priests must have better grasp of youngsters' needs

Gozo Bishop Nikol Cauchi believes that his priests must adopt a more modern approach to make Mass more interesting and relevant for youngsters. Talking to Steve Mallia about a survey carried out among 16- to 18-year-olds in his diocese, the bishop also discusses their attitude to pornography, sexual relations and life in general.

Over 60 per cent of the youngsters that were interviewed in this survey are telling you that the format of the Mass is boring. Are you surprised by this?

Not at all. This is a complaint we get from adults as well as youngsters and I think they find the Mass boring for more than one reason. First, because of the homily, especially if it is too long and not to the point. Second, because they don't play an active part in it. It would be more interesting for them if there was more participation. I insist with priests that 45 minutes is long enough for Sunday Mass, because otherwise it becomes a strain on youngsters' patience. So we have to adapt ourselves to this. And I think a homily should not last longer than 10 minutes. Within this time a priest can deliver the right message without irritating anyone.

You said you were aware of these complaints. What have you done about them?

We have issued guidelines on how homilies should be done. I insist at all my meetings with the priests that they deliver their message in a way that appeals to youngsters. There should also be - and in some places this has been introduced - a specific Mass for young people.

Don't you think that one of the problems is that priests are talking down to youngsters?

There are two extremes: there could be a priest who takes a theological point and starts philosophising on it thinking that he is giving the best homily ever when in reality he is hardly being understood by anyone. And then there are those who take the level down to such an extent that you would think they are talking to small children. Youngsters want something more substantive. They don't want to hear simple instructions like respect your parents and don't fight with one another. There has to be a message that sheds a certain light on their own problems and is relevant to their lives.

Are priests listening to what young people are saying or don't they care?

Not everyone is the same. There are those who try to understand youngsters, adapt themselves and even dedicate their time to them and then there are those who try to get others to do that type of work.

Do you view the survey as a wake-up call for the priests to do something?

I think it is a wake-up call. In fact, I have used the material to write a letter to the priests.

And what is your message?

That we have to take youngsters' problems more seriously because their problems are ours as well. Preparation for sermons is important. You find priests that prepare what they are going to say and there are others who go on the pulpit just for the sake of saying something. We need to ensure that we take these things seriously. Priests should not adopt a happy-go-lucky approach.

Are you saying that it has not been done well enough before - that's what the survey indicates, isn't it?

I cannot deny that there have been some shortcomings. But, on the other hand, youngsters today are more demanding than they were when I was young - probably because they are more intelligent and better educated.

Given the fact that youngsters are telling you that they are becoming bored with the situation, isn't there a grave danger that Church attendances will continue to go down?

That is certainly the trend around the world, not only with youngsters but also with adults. I don't think the world is becoming more religious and closer to God. On the contrary, it is becoming more secularised. But I think there are grounds for hope for the future. In certain parishes, priests organise an hour-long prayer meeting for youngsters with singing and guitars and various other things. Sometimes they prefer this kind of thing to going to a film or whatever. So I think that if things are done well, we can bring our youngsters closer to God.

You have been to Brazil and have seen the animated Masses with dancing, clapping and singing. Do you favour these methods?

I favour a lot of them. And I think that if we have not already introduced them, we should do so. I remember the fuss that was made by certain people when guitars and other instruments were introduced in Masses. Today they are accepted. That is why I want there to be specific Masses for young people that are suitable for them.

For example, when I was in Brazil a girl that was about to read the epistle carried the book in her hands and danced all the way from the main door to the lectern. If she had to do that here imagine what comments people would make. But I think this is the way forward. There is sacred dance after all.

Are priests too conservative to accept these changes?

Some of them are too conservative and I think when it comes to activities that involve youngsters, they say "let's let the younger priests take care of them" and they shift the responsibility on to someone else. But at least they should not put spokes in the wheels of these initiatives or put up obstacles as some tend to do because we will get stuck.

Even the Pope attends certain ceremonies involving youngsters - and he himself starts singing and clapping. So if it happens elsewhere in the Pope's presence, I can't understand why it cannot happen here.

The point is this: We cannot stop the clock from moving forward. But obviously, there has to be a degree of selectivity. What is good we should keep, what is neutral we should improve and we should discard what is bad.

Are you unhappy with the level of resistance to change from your priests?

I think I would put it another way: I am not happy with their level of cooperation. But there are some who have done sterling work and I approve of what they are doing and some go to great lengths.

Seventy-five per cent of youngsters in this survey said that they no longer take any part in Catholic groups. Isn't it time for the Church to drop these groups and redirect its energies elsewhere?

The Church needs to do both things simultaneously. I firmly believe that what we call official Church organisations still have a future and value.

But youngsters aren't going to them...

But children are still going there and there are also adults. There is still a use for them and we should try to get youngsters and children involved in them because you need to recruit. But that does not mean we cannot create other things. We should make an effort to bring youngsters closer to us and we should move closer to them.

Over 43 per cent said they had watched pornography and almost 19 per cent said they engaged in sexual relations. Does this concern you or is it time for the Church to accept that times are changing and adopt a different attitude?

Pornography may be one of the negative effects of modern mass media, including the internet. The problem revolves around two elements that are related: the freedom to do as you please - youngsters have a thirst for this and have a right to certain freedom - but there must also be a sense of responsibility so they can make good use of their freedom.

You can't say to them that they shouldn't have a TV set or a computer or internet, but you should try and educate them and instil within them a sense of responsibility. Then you have to make a distinction between under-age youngsters and others. And it is not just the Church's problem, parents also need to be more aware of it.

The Church does not approve of pornography...

...it does not approve of pornography but there are some valid reasons for this stand. We see it as something that lowers the dignity of a person and it also has an effect on a person's mentality in the sense that he or she can get into certain habits and it can even become an addiction.

But looking at pornography is inevitable isn't it? Forty-three per cent of your youngsters are telling you they see it.

Yes, but it is one thing if they saw it once and quite another if they look at it everyday or very often. And it is one thing watching hard porn and another watching something else, though the latter may also be very objectionable.

But in small doses shouldn't the Church accept these things?

I don't think it's a question of small doses. If it is gratuitous pornography, then it is bad and it can be very harmful if the viewers are still immature.

Almost a fifth of the respondents to the survey said they had had sexual relations with members of the opposite sex...

This is a matter of deep concern to me but it comes as no great surprise that there is a certain lax approach by youngsters to sex; besides, they are continuously exposed to sexual pornography which comes from various quarters. But what is intrinsically wrong cannot be made right just because a lot of people are doing it.

The proportion seems to be going up...

But that's the trend everywhere and there are many factors - for example, if you have a person who is not capable of controlling everything he sees and hears then he would definitely be tempted.

But I also think that certain youngsters like to boast about these things when sometimes it would be a figment of their imagination. So you also have to take that into account.

Does the Church still hold the right attitude on sexual relations or should it update itself to keep youngsters with the Church?

I think we recognise that human beings have certain weaknesses and we make this profound distinction between the sin and the sinner - the act which is not good and the person that does it.

So in your opinion it's something that remains a sin?

I think we need to explain to them more clearly the difference that we make between mortal sin and venal sin...

But the Church cannot one fine day decide to drop everything it has held dear over the years - which is the message of Christ - and say "you can steal as much as you like, you can hate as much as you want". With certain things, if you have fallen there is a remedy, and one can obtain a pardon.

The laws of God or the stand of the Church look like a restriction but at the same time they are there to allow human beings to live at a certain level.

Traditionally, the Church has condemned sexual acts outside marriage. Should it take a different approach even though it still feels they are wrong?

It should continue to say they are wrong - because they are wrong. In the same breath it should continue to say that this does not mean that that person has been abandoned by God or by the Church. But at the same time it needs to follow true psychology. I make a distinction between true psychology and fictitious psychology. Sound psychology teaches us that at times a person does not have any control over himself and at that time he is less responsible for his actions. So today, this aspect counts for much more.

In view of your experience of your priests and the attitudes that prevail in Gozo, are they applying these distinctions?

I can't ask the priests certain things because they come up during confession. But I think they try and understand the person in front of them regardless of who he is. There is another thing: Youngsters wouldn't come to confession if the priests ride roughshod over them.

But I insist on this point a lot: even if a priest doesn't agree with what a person has done or if that person does not accept what he has to say, the priest should still be understanding and try and engage in friendly conversation.

Sixty per cent of the youngsters said they consume alcohol. Is this a problem in Gozo?

Let's put alcohol, drugs and smoking in the same basket for a moment: It seems that youngsters have opened their eyes when it comes to drugs and there is a degree of responsibility. It is also my impression that there is a certain awareness about Aids and this is one of the reasons they hold back a bit when it comes to sexual relations...

Or they use certain contraceptives...

Condoms and things like that. But they also know that even these are not 100 per cent safe.

Regarding smoking, a lot of people are scared of it as well but there is a surge of smoking among women and this can be more problematic because it can harm the child in the womb. This bothers me.

On drink, you have to bear in mind that a lot of people grow up with wine around them. But we don't have drunkards like you see in other countries and I think that they exercise an element of self control - at least that's what I think. Obviously there are exceptions but OASI has done a fine job in this field.

A third of youngsters described life as nothing special. Over seven per cent said "no point". How does this strike you?

Don't forget that students go through bad phases especially when they are doing exams. They may have depression and some even take valium. I am not in favour of it but there are some who encourage them to take it. So they look at life from a negative point of view. But the majority of them believe that life is worth living.

Do you think it's normal to have this proportion of people that don't like life?

But it is not the general attitude. And even if they have some rough moments in their lives, I think they come out of them. For example, I know of certain children whose parents have a career who feel a little neglected. It is not enough to buy children toys and gadgets. Parents need to have a certain presence and they need to show their children affection and respect. Respect should not just be from children to parents but also the other way round.

These youngsters are the parents of tomorrow. Are you confident about the future?

I can't say that I don't have certain concerns. We set out a five-year plan in 2000 and if you look at the index, there is a whole page on activities for youngsters. But some happen and some don't.

Certain things are not as flowery as we would like them to be. But at the same time I have not lost hope.