'young adults"

[quantum_star22]

I went to a meeting for “young adults” recently, where there was a speaker who was in his early 40’s or so. The topic was “relations between Catholicism and Islam”. I noticed something interesting: while emphasizing how “good things were with Islam” during JP2’s papacy, he then took a a shot at Benedict XVI, stating “haha, well things were a little rocky there”.

Another individual I was talking to, while referring to JP2, simply referred to Benedict XVI as “Ratzinger”; both these people are Gen-X folks. I understand how much Generation X loves John Paul II, but what I don’t understand is why they feel it’s ok to take shots at Benedict XVI. I’ve also seen this attitude in the writings of various gen-x “theologians” online as well.

 

[holyfamily1]

I went to a meeting for “young adults” recently, where there was a speaker who was in his early 40’s or so. The topic was “relations between Catholicism and Islam”. I noticed something interesting: while emphasizing how “good things were with Islam” during JP2’s papacy, he then took a a shot at Benedict XVI, stating “haha, well things were a little rocky there”.

Another individual I was talking to, while referring to JP2, simply referred to Benedict XVI as “Ratzinger”; both these people are Gen-X folks. I understand how much Generation X loves John Paul II, but what I don’t understand is why they feel it’s ok to take shots at Benedict XVI. I’ve also seen this attitude in the writings of various gen-x “theologians” online as well.

I’m a member of “Gen-X” and one of my favorite popes has been H.H. Benedict XVI. He was the pope of Christian unity. Especially with the SSPX

 

[angell1]

i woulnd’t worry about it too much. as much as there may be “good” things in islam, it’s centrality is still wrong. i’m sorry, i don’t mean to be harsh but any religion that specifically denies christ is from the devil. every cahtolic pope still believes that even if some people would like to think otherwise

 

[Joe_5859]

It’s hard to evaluate their comments without the fuller context. I can see someone saying that things were “rocky” in regards to Catholic-Muslim relations under Benedict just because of things like the Regensberg lecture. That’s not necessarily a knock on Benedict, though. It is what it is.

With regards to calling him “Ratzinger”, that would depend on the context, too. It’s not out of the question for people to refer to popes by their last name from before they were pope. It can be done as a way to identify one is speaking of the pope’s actions from before he was pope. Or sometimes writers/presenters use it just to switch things up instead of saying the pope’s name over and over again. But then, sometimes it is used in a derisive way to downplay the pope’s authority on a particular issue.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I think it’s probably easier for people to refer to Benedict as “Ratzinger” simply because he was so well known by so many for so many years prior to his pontificate. Not many people were familiar with “Wojtyla” or “Bergoglio” before they became pope.

I don’t think Generation X as a whole dislikes Benedict. I’m a member of Gen X and I love him immensely. Whether or not there is a general generational trend, though, I’ll leave that for the sociologists to determine.

 

[Kal2012]

I’m a Gen-X convert and Francis is my first Pope (as an official Catholic).

That said, there simply isn’t the same cultural relationship with Benedict that we had with JP II.

I still remember when the Pope came to Detroit in the 1980’s. I wasn’t even a Catholic, but I still remember the excitement and amazement that the Pope was coming to Michigan. I lived on the other side of the state and people were just in awe that the Pope would choose to visit our state. Everyone knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

themichigancatholic.com/2012/09/popes-visit-still-etched-in-areas-memory/

I don’t think that many of us dislike Benedict, but Benedict was a different kind of Pope and he wasn’t Pope for very long. The phrase “we hardly knew ya” comes to mind.

 

[quantum_star22]

I’m a member of “Gen-X” and one of my favorite popes has been H.H. Benedict XVI. He was the pope of Christian unity. Especially with the SSPX

You’re one of the few if what I read on internet forums is an accurate representation of the demographic. For some odd reason, many like to use the exact same rhetoric: “what we need is a little TOB”. This is used when discussing pretty much anything.

 

[LightBound]

I’m a member of “Gen-X” and one of my favorite popes has been H.H. Benedict XVI. He was the pope of Christian unity. Especially with the SSPX

I was under the impression that Gen X included those born from the late 60’s/early 1970’s up to the mid-to late 1980’s. From your other posts, I think you’d be what is considered a “late Gen Y” when it comes to chronological age.

 

[bcuster]

I went to a meeting for “young adults” recently, where there was a speaker who was in his early 40’s or so. The topic was “relations between Catholicism and Islam”. I noticed something interesting: while emphasizing how “good things were with Islam” during JP2’s papacy, he then took a a shot at Benedict XVI, stating “haha, well things were a little rocky there”.

Another individual I was talking to, while referring to JP2, simply referred to Benedict XVI as “Ratzinger”; both these people are Gen-X folks. I understand how much Generation X loves John Paul II, but what I don’t understand is why they feel it’s ok to take shots at Benedict XVI. I’ve also seen this attitude in the writings of various gen-x “theologians” online as well.

I am categorized as a post Korean War Baby Boomer. During the time of the JPII generation, there were also many “enlightened” young people who were anti-magisterium. While JPII earned the rock-star image, Cardinal Ratzinger was the face of the evil magisterium who somehow wants to drag us back to pre-Vatican II. Anyone who has actually read both JPII and BXVI knows that they were both orthodox in their presentation of the Catholic Faith and promoters of the authentic teaching of Vat II.

When I meet with Catholics who are anywhere from 30 to 70, many seem to perpetuate the Ratzinger myth. If you find that the YA group you are attending is preoccupied with this, try to find some like-minded people and start your own group. Meet for coffee. Go out for a beer, etc. We need great YA leaders.

 

[1ke]

I understand how much Generation X loves John Paul II, but what I don’t understand is why they feel it’s ok to take shots at Benedict XVI.

This is a gross generalization that is based on a sample of two people who said something you did not like.

I’ve also seen this attitude in the writings of various gen-x “theologians” online as well.

Again, gross generalization not based on facts.

 

[quantum_star22]

This is a gross generalization that is based on a sample of two people who said something you did not like.

Again, gross generalization not based on facts.

Well, the problem with that statement is that it implies that there is something wrong with observation. If you read what I said carefully, I said that I had noticed a trend also based on the writings of various other people in that demographic. If you do your homework, you’ll notice that the TOB “experts” are all in the same age group. Your argument implies that people should not state observations; ironically the liberal media has the same philosophy.