Yeah, whatever. It sounds like Fr. Rausch isn't comfortable with young people rejecting his program.
Follow Up to Colleen Carroll's The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy
This website favorably reviewed Colleen Carroll's recent book The New Faithful which documents the rise in orthodoxy in the younger generations (see post for Jan. 3, 2003). As predicted in that review, Catholic "progressives" have begun to take notice and to try to question the thesis of her book. One recent review in a dissident publication tries, in a muddled manner, to question her evidence without much success. In the end, the reviewer appears to confirm the thesis that we do indeed have a much more orthodox younger generation of Catholics when he admits that "a new generation is coming into positions of leadership with an agenda quite different from the reconstructionist, liberal agenda of the Vatican II generation" (National Catholic Reporter, 2/28/03 ). I say "appears to confirm" because the reluctance of the writer is so evident, and the writing style lacks clarity at several points in the review. Yet, it appears that we can conclude two things: 1.) Carroll's book is being noticed by "progressives"; and 2.) when all is said and done at least one such "progressive" publication has ended up, however reluctantly, confirming her thesis. Such confirmation from a publication opposing orthodoxy lends further credibility to this important book.
Don't forget about the new "Ever Ancient, Ever New" Association of Students at Catholic Colleges, which, aside of being excellent, has a great rebuttal to Fr. Rausch's review of "The New Faithful" ..."The review displays typical signs of a deeply compromised “theologian”—someone whose intellectual project has proven bankrupt in the eyes of so many of today’s students" --- it's worth reading the whole thing!
I believe we are living in blessed times... although some days it sure is hard to believe that!