[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Eijk: Pope Leo will restore unity to the Church -- Something is happening with the Young People in Europe

2021: The Bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam, Bp. Hendriks, confirming 16 young faithful among them 9 converted young adults at the FSSP Personal Parish of St. Joseph in the St. Agnes Church in Amsterdam

One month ago took place the Conclave that elected Robert Francis Prevost to the Throne of Peter: “There are many issues in the Church where there is disagreement, and internal discord is not good for us”

Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, was at his second Conclave. Today, almost a month after the election of Leo XIV, he tells Il Foglio about his first impressions of the new pope and what the new pontiff's priorities are (or may be).

In his speeches, Prevost often speaks of unity. Unity also of and in the Church. Is that the case?

"In fact, I cannot and should not say anything about the Conclave, but shortly after the election of Pope Leo XIV, I held a press conference in the Church of the Frisians [Rorate: Chiesa dei Frisoni, the national church of the Dutch in Rome], a stone's throw from St. Peter's Square. There I gave my first reaction to his election, saying, among other things, that I see the new Pope as a man who will restore unity. I also said that I do not expect great changes from Pope Leo XIV. In addition, I expressed the hope and expectation that this pope can mean a lot in different areas, such as bioethics, issues of marriage morality, sexual morality, and even social morality. These are issues of disagreement in the Church, we cannot deny that. And internal discord is not good for any organization, including the Church. So, restoring unity is really an important concern."

What about synodality? It is a term that is mentioned daily, by churchmen and intellectuals, but one often gets the impression that “synodal” is an adjective put a bit haphazardly, in the middle of a homily, as an endnote to a speech.

"One of my auxiliary bishops in the Archdiocese of Utrecht, Bp. Hoogenboom, participated on behalf of the Dutch Bishops' Conference in both sessions in Rome of the XVI Ordinary General Synod of Bishops 'For a Synodal Church: communio, participatio, missio.' Since then, he has spoken throughout the Netherlands about his experiences during the 2023 and 2024 synods. The word ‘synod’ is an amalgamation of the Greek words ‘syn’ (together) and ‘odos’, away. It therefore means that, in the faith, we must walk in one direction. The synod process is not a democratic poll of various opinions and ideas. It is about finding a common path through which the Church can fulfill its mission in our time and culture. And this mission is none other than the one she has had from the beginning throughout the centuries: to proclaim Christ and his Gospel. The conversations we have organized in our parishes over the last few years as part of the diocesan phase of preparation for the synods of 2023 and 2024, have been very enriching for many people. These have been conversations of faith, and not polemical discussions. It was important that the participants prayerfully participated in these conversations and were receptive to the action of the Holy Spirit. Many parishioners were not used to speaking freely about their faith among themselves, which was really a relief for them. And we see that some parishes continuing to have such conversations -- for example, when they talk about how they want to carry out their task as a missionary parish. Where are the opportunities? What are each person's talents? Talking about these among ourselves in the form of faith conversations proves fruitful. Among other things, it is necessary to clarify the concept of synodality. A synod is basically an assembly of bishops."

Pope Leo XIV introduced himself by speaking about Christ. In every one of his speeches he talks about Jesus, about St. Augustine, about the truth. Do you think “the world” will have any difficulty understanding a Pope who speaks so insistently about Christ to the point of saying he wants to disappear so that only He will remain?

"The worldwide media coverage of the Conclave and the new Pope has been very strong and not unwelcome. Of course, we have yet to see what will be left after some time. As mentioned above, I see signs of receptivity and curiosity about Christ and His Church among the younger generation. However, this development is still in its infancy, so we have to wait and see how many people will be touched by the words of Pope Leo XIV. Personally, however, I am very pleased that Pope Leo's homilies and allocutions are Christocentric."

Your Eminence, for years there has been talk of a crisis of faith in the West, and particularly in Europe. Closed churches are numerous, religious practice is declining. Yet, there is no shortage of signs of a counter-trend. Growing communities, sacrament attendance, and praying. Is it perhaps a faith that is less numerous than it used to be but more “convinced” of what it is doing? More mature?

"The contraction of the past numbers and the timid growth coexist at present in the Dutch Church and probably in the whole Western Church. The contraction of the old popular Church continues: the old generation of believers is dying out. The generation below is hardly represented in the Church. But among young people, on the contrary, there is more interest in the Church and the faith, especially in the cities. In April of this year, the new edition of the ‘God in the Netherlands’ survey was published in the Netherlands. This survey has been conducted every ten years since 1966 and has shown a decline in church involvement for decades. Even compared to the previous 2015 edition, secularization has continued. While in 2015, 25 percent of the Dutch adult population still belonged to a Christian church, in 2024 the percentage dropped to 19 percent (in 1966 it was nearly 70 percent). According to the survey, fewer and fewer Dutch consider themselves religious and fewer believe in God or a higher power. In 2015, 42 percent of the population believed in God or a higher power; by 2024, the percentage dropped to 36 percent. This recent decline is caused by an increase in the percentage of non-believing and non-religious Dutch people in the population. Outside the churches, faith is thus declining; in contrast, a (slight) increase in faith can be seen among church members. A smaller number of members have left the church, such as those who attended it mainly due to social pressure or habit. With their departure, the remaining group of church members as a whole became more religious. So again, this study shows that people who now choose the faith do so out of full conviction. These people develop a personal connection with Christ and often have a personal prayer life. They really go all the way. So good liturgy and clear catechesis are important and appreciated, especially by these new Catholics."

"It is difficult to predict. But a ‘creative minority’ can make a difference in the future and provide answers to the difficulties and challenges of our time."

But what is the reason for young people's interest in the religious fact? Is there perhaps a search for something “different” in a world that paradoxically offers everything?

"In most parishes, we see an increasing number of young people between the ages of 20 and 45 joining the Church -- especially in the cities. They have often found their way to the Church through the Internet and Catholic influencers on social media. This growth is also visible in other Western European countries, with many young people joining the Roman Catholic Church, especially in France and England. These people are often open-minded and unprejudiced about the Church and the faith. The numbers are not huge in the Netherlands, but we hear these noises from almost every pastor. It is clear that something is happening. We also see it reflected in the interest in the priesthood: there are many new applications for the priesthood. The younger generation often lacks a fixed point in their lives. Their lives have no deeper meaning or destination. But questions about meaning arise for everyone, including them. With the project of ‘missionary parishes,’ we, as the Church of the Archdiocese of Utrecht, try to give an answer to this problem. Among other things, through the Alpha course (evenings with a meal and conversations about faith), Family Sundays where parents, first communicants, and young people preparing for confirmation receive catechesis at their own level and participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and a common meal, and other low-threshold activities, we reach out to those who are searching for meaning."

A bishop from Scandinavia, Bp. Erik Varden, told this newspaper a few months ago that, in his opinion, it is wrong to speak of a post-Christian world. In fact, he observed, this is now a post-secular world. He said, "Secularization has run its course. It is exhausted, devoid of positive purpose." Do you agree with this view?

"It is a bit early to give a new label to the current era. In the West, secularization began because of booming prosperity in a short period of time. This increased prosperity gave people the opportunity to break away from the community, including the church community, to which they belonged. This allowed them to develop as individuals and to choose their own values and norms. In today's society, almost everything is for sale except the meaning and importance that goes beyond the limits of death. Only Christ can make this offer - free but not without obligation. I think more and more people are feeling discontent with the emptiness of the current secular world, but talking about a post-secular world already seems premature - especially when I look at the figures of secularization and the disproportionate emphasis still placed on materialistic values such as economic growth."

WoW. how ironic ebby. The Cardinal says, “I see the new Pope as a man who will restore UNITY. I also said that I do not expect great changes from Pope Leo XIV.”

Who has been saying this to you and your posse? Is this speculation? ImagineThat! And the Cardinal said it to an SSPX group. Do you want to retract, ebby?

UNITY - get with the program. It’s time for the posse to drop its fraud on the Church.

You have major problems, foister.

Anything I post, you come with crazy accusations.

If I posted the Apostles Creed or Pope Pius IX’s Syllabus of Errors, you’d find fault with them also.

I’m glad I get under your thin skin.

And the Cardinal said it to an SSPX group.

Just another of your endless lies!

You are blinded with your rage against all things Catholic.

Is it yet safe to post to a Christian-related thread? Maybe.

Anyway across denominations, what you would under any color call “traditional” which is to say Christ-centered, anti-woke, and eager to be carriers of Christ’s light into the world is popular with young people across the West.

Conversely Christian-and groups, denominations which are thin veneers for perv and DEI garbage, and coffee-club groups are fading.

I remain opposed to parts of the former finding ways to quarrel. One could write a book about things people think wrongly about denominations they don’t belong to — across the board.

I was raised a Catholic. I was taught to “love the sinner and hate the sin”.

I was taught that adultery, homosexuality, among other things, are sins.

The Pope should be able to promote those principles.

I’m impressed with the number of young people at the Latin Mass in our parish. Love seeing the young families. Does my old heart good.

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