The focus of the American bishops on young adults may puzzle some older Catholics; after all, those over 35 passed through this stage of life without the Church paying particular attention to them.
However, according to "Sons and Daughters of the Light," the pastoral plan on young adult ministry, young adults today are different from previous generations because society and the Church have changed.
"Unlike their parents and grandparents, they are a generation which some social scientists call the first truly multi-cultural and multi-media generation," the bishops write. "Today, many young adults spend longer periods in transition. Marriage is delayed, children come later in life, geographic and job mobility is high, and second and third careers are common. When we consider all these factors, it is easy to understand why many young adults believe that life today is different."
Like young adults of previous generations, 18- to 35-year-olds must progress through several developmental stages, the document states. These include developing personal identity, relationships, work and spiritual life.
"While these concerns are not new to young adults, life today is different in two ways. These tasks are undertaken over an extended period of time, for some, into their thirties; and there is a lack of family, civic, and pastoral institutions to support them," states the pastoral plan.
To add to the differences between the generations, today's young adults are the first generation raised in a post-Vatican II Church, in a society that widely accepts divorce, and in a more violent world. They are also different from their parents' generation in that they don't have the same economic and social opportunities their parents did. (MM)