Cover
story
Its pope as pop star in youth rally
By TERESA MALCOLM
NCR Staff St. Louis
It felt like a rock concert, with a
daylong series of opening acts met with the customary polite indifference or
mild interest, all but a prelude to the big moment when the star hits the
stage. And when Pope John Paul II appeared at the entrance, he was greeted by
22,000 teenagers cheering, screaming and crying.
The clicking of cameras and the accompanying flashes sparkled
through the arena and added to the din. The swell of cheers would briefly
mutate into a chant -- John Paul Two, we love you! -- that
dissipated into hysteria with a wave of his hand.
The youth rally that had preceded the popes early evening
appearance at the Kiel Center in St. Louis featured prayers, speeches and
Christian rock artists, all driving home the messages to stay true to your
faith and to stay chaste. But when a midday prayer services final words
were cut off by cheers as the audience watched the jumbo screens as Pope John
Paul II descended from the airplane at the St. Louis airport, it was clear who
this event was about.
As one young man had said earlier in the day, Hes like
second, next to God.
Some groups of teenagers had left their hometowns in Missouri and
nearby states before dawn for this pilgrimage, as many described it. Busloads
arrived at the citys riverfront in the morning and unloaded them at the
St. Louis Gateway Arch, feeding them into a line that waited for the Walk
in the Light -- a one-mile march from the Arch through downtown St. Louis
to the Kiel Center.
Mary Hanlon, 16, of Springfield, Ill., was among the many
anticipating a once in a lifetime experience.
Dawn Johnson, her classmate at Lanphair Catholic High School,
agreed, adding that the opportunity to see this pope was not likely to arrive
again: He probably wont be alive much longer. They said they
saw it as a chance to strengthen their faith.
I wanted to learn more about Catholicism and meet other
Catholics, said their companion, Jessie Lindsay, 18. I came to
learn about [the pope] and why everyone is so excited about him.
Slowly, the line that snaked past the Old Cathedral, around the
Arch and across the adjacent park shuffled forward and by 10 a.m. was well on
its way in the crisp January air and bright sunshine.
Farther ahead, the march grew less congested and the ranks of
souvenir sellers grew -- as did the ranks of leafleters, who distributed
primarily evangelical Christian tracts explaining the various misdirections of
the Catholic faith.
Neither of those is Catholic! a passing man warned
those inspecting their free literature. Be careful. This is
junk!
Youth rally and Papal
Plaza
The closer to the Kiel Center, the thicker was the litter of
discarded tracts cluttering the gutters. The procession forked off when it
reached its destination. To the left went the lucky thousands with tickets to
the Light of the World Youth Gathering in the Kiel Center. They
would see the pope in person. To the right walked the rest, to the Papal
Plaza, where all-day festivities would culminate in watching the pope on
the outdoor jumbo screens. That would not necessarily satisfy all the faithful.
One woman roamed the plaza wearing a sign that said, If St. Jude sent you
with an extra ticket, here I am!
But others were grateful for what the plaza had to offer -- a
festival atmosphere, live Christian bands, speakers and food stalls. They hoped
for a glimpse of the pope as he made his way to the Kiel Center.
Its cool to see so many Catholic and Christian kids
here, said Anne Wright, 15, of Silver Bay, Minn. Wright and her friends
hoped to get just a little closer to the pope, just for his
blessings, said Chris Anderson, 16, of Two Harbors, Minn.
Inside the Kiel Center, many of the featured speakers were
Catholic speakers, but the bigger-name Christian bands -- the Supertones,
Rebecca St. James and dc Talk -- all are non-Catholics. Music dominated the day
at the center. Emcee Steve Angrisano was joined by fellow Catholic singer Tom
Booth in leading the crowd in sing-alongs, complete with hand gestures to
dramatize the lyrics.
Booth, the director of music for the Life Teen movement, was
commissioned to compose a theme song for the youth rally. His contribution,
Cry the Gospel, was sung numerous times throughout the day.
Say not that you are too young, Booth sang, answered by the
600-youth choir and, gradually, more and more audience members: We are
holy. We are strong!
Even teens who were not fans of Christian rock music were
pleasantly surprised by the entertainment value of the rally. I thought
it was going to be boring until 6:00, said Colleen West, 18. She and two
friends, Kristin Weyman and Frank OBrien, from the parish of St.
Gerards in the St. Louis archdiocese, had been listening to the music
while playing cards in the hallway of the arena.
The bands, they said, were real bands and better than
most Christian music. Theyre religious, but not religious to the
point of being corny, said OBrien, 17. Its nothing
like, Oh my God, I have to run out and buy it, he added.
But its good for this, said West.
The three were among the hundreds of groups of teenagers, peppered
with monks, priests, nuns in habits and other adults, that filled the
arenas circular hallway throughout the day. Makeshift confessional booths
lined the halls, and they had lines, though not as long as the lines for
concessions and souvenirs.
A middle-aged woman stopped groups, handed out religious medals
and led them in portions of the rosary. She was accompanied by a teenage boy
carrying a giant poster of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He had the resigned look of
the forcibly enlisted.
Mounted TV screens showed a cardinal bopping his head to a rapping
monk performing inside the arena. Meanwhile, meetings and hugs occurred right
and left. Im seeing people I havent seen since grade
school, Weyman said.
Strange but beautiful
time
For Oscar Negrete, a 31-year-old Colombian attending Conception
Seminary College in Conception, Mo., the rally was strange and
different. He said he expected something more spiritual, but this
is very beautiful.
I think the young people are happy with the program,
said his fellow seminarian, Gilberto Vallejo, 34, of Mexico. It is
necessary because the pope wont arrive until 6 p.m. But he
admitted, I dont like the music. Its too noisy.
Vallejo was basking in the glow of the popes visit to his
own country just days before. Im happy because my country received
the pope with all its heart, he said.
Negrete was concerned that not all in the crowds at the rally were
there for spiritual growth. Many people are here because its
news, he said. Many people are coming here like tourists. But there
are people here to hear the pope open his heart.
Vallejo added, I think the young people here are waiting for
a message from the pope, and some people will change their life. Maybe more
young people will look for God in the Catholic church.
Both said that in their countries, youth are nearer to the church,
and more informed about the churchs teachings.
Despite the fervor at the youth rally, West and her friends agreed
that most U.S. young people arent that interested in religion. Most
Catholics I know didnt come, West said, even though tickets for the
rally were still available at her parish. OBrien said that for his peers,
its more a here and now thing -- what do I want right now.
Eventually, people end up going back [to church] when they realize there are
more important things than partying.
The three acknowledged that they were not wholly countercultural
in this sense. They all said they were kind of in the middle -- not
really religious, but still considering faith to be a part of their lives. West
also said that though her faith is important, I dont necessarily
believe in everything the Catholic church stands for ... Im definitely
pro-choice, she said. And learning what the Catholic church teaches can
be a challenge in itself, they said. The religion classes they have taken are
not very informative, OBrien said.
West said, The themes heard are no sex before
marriage and no abortion, but you dont hear about the
smaller topics, such as the popes statements against
consumerism.
You hear something about materialism at Christmas, but
thats it, West said.
Whether young Catholics pay attention to what they are taught --
particularly about premarital sex -- depends on the circles you run in,
OBrien said. One circle of my friends is very orthodox Catholic --
they believe everything the church teaches, he said. The other
group doesnt care what the church says about it. Its just decided
on a person-by-person basis.
Whatever differences in beliefs they may have with John Paul II,
it did not dim their admiration of the man, whom OBrien called a role
model of humility and compassion. Its especially great to have him
come to our own city, West said, and to see not just a United
States leader, but a world-renowned figure.
The three packed up their playing cards and other belongings and
joined the crowds moving into the arena for the final hour of waiting. As the
remaining empty seats filled, the youth orchestras drummer pounded out a
rhythm for John Paul Two, we love you. Shots of the approaching
popemobile on the jumbo screens brought up swells of deafening cheers.
We just got the sign -- one minute! Angrisano said.
Then: His Holiness is now in the building! With anticipation built
to a fever pitch, the place exploded when the pope was motored down the
aisle.
The prayer service that followed was punctuated by cheers and the
occasional lone voice screaming out, We love you! When the pope
acknowledged the cheers with a smile, it set off the screaming again.
Not the most reverent prayer service ever held, but then rock
concerts arent especially reverent. And once John Paul left the stage and
the stomping and chanting began again, it was almost disappointing he
didnt grace his fans with an encore.
National Catholic Reporter, February 5,
1999
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