Young People Recognize the Love of Christ

By Mary Beth Bonacci
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 5/5/05)

I was giving talks in Arizona on the day that Pope John Paul II died. In fact, I was giving a talk about him when he died. I watched all of the coverage and went to Mass and prayed for his soul — just another Catholic grieving the loss of this incredible gift to the Church. And then I went home.

I had completely forgotten that, having written a book on the Holy Father and youth, people might be interested in what I had to say — until I listened to my voice mail. There were quite a few people trying to reach me.

The next few days were ridiculously busy. I wrote several articles and did numerous TV, radio and newspaper interviews. (I was even on Fox News Channel — live — at the ungodly hour of 3:30 a.m. They apparently save the B-list experts for the graveyard shift.) All of the interviews were quite pleasant. We discussed the non-controversial but apparently baffling question of why the youth of the world loved John Paul II.

On the surface, it really made very little sense. He was old. (I heard one commentator opine that perhaps he was popular because, at only 58 when elevated to the papacy, he was relatively young. Come on — 58 is not "young" to a teenager. Eric Clapton is 59 and plays a mean electric guitar — and any teenager who has heard of him still sees him as an old fogey.) He had no "wardrobe" apart from a long white cassock. And he told them all of the things they supposedly don’t want to hear — don’t have sex, don’t use birth control, don’t get caught up in materialism.

And yet they really did love him. They flocked — literally by the millions — to see him. They chanted "John Paul II, we love you!"

I suppose there were several factors that contributed to the youth’s devotion to JPII. He was young at heart. He joked with the crowd at youth events. He was funny — something they didn’t expect from this old guy in a cassock.

More important, however, is the simple fact that he loved them. He sought them out. He made a point of addressing them directly. And he did it respectfully. He didn’t talk down to them. He didn’t water down his message. He encouraged them. He told them they were important. He told them they were capable of great things.

Most important, he spoke to them about Christ — always. In a letter to World Youth Day organizers, he said, "The principal objective of the day is to make the person of Jesus Christ the centre of the faith and life of every young person so that He may be their constant point of reference and also the inspiration of every initiative and commitment for the education of the new generations."

He wasn’t about himself. He was about Jesus.

Which leads to the most important point: John Paul II loved youth and they recognized it. But he didn’t just love them with a human love. He, in a very real way, brought the love of Christ to them. He embodied the love of Christ. He made that love real — he showed them what it looks like. Christ’s love is personal, tender, playful and challenging. That what Pope John Paul II brought to the youth of the world.

It is a mistake to believe that young people want sex, drugs, and rock and roll. What they want, more than anything, is love. They may use sex, drugs, and rock and roll to try to find love, or to numb the pain of the lack of love. But in their heart of hearts, they hunger for real, honest love. They hunger for Christ. And once they encounter Him, everything changes.

Why did the youth of the world love a pope who gave them so many rules? Because he didn’t just give them rules — he gave them the love of Christ. In the context of that love, those "rules" take on a whole new meaning. They aren’t about jumping through hoops. They are about living and passing on the love they have received.

Will Pope Benedict XVI have the same impact on the youth of the world? I have to admit I wasn’t so sure, initially. But when I saw him walk out onto that balcony for the first time, and I saw the beautiful smile on his face, I thought "Of course he will." It won’t be exactly the same, of course. Benedict XVI is a unique man, with a unique set of gifts. But he is also a very holy man, who radiates the love of Christ. I am quite certain he will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, reaching out to the young people of the world. They will recognize the love of Christ in him. I’m sure of it.

Copyright ©2005 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.