Ringing changes at church

Less than three years after his death, Pope John Paul II's true American legacy is beginning to emerge. It comes with the maturing of the JPII generation, Catholics for whom John Paul II was the only pontiff they can remember. Their coming of age is destined not only to change American Catholic practices. It could significantly influence U.S. politics.

To the outside world, John Paul II was known as one of the driving forces behind the fall of communism and as the pontiff who refused to be cloistered in Rome. He traveled the world as no pope had ever done. In Catholic circles, however, he's also remembered for limiting the liberalization of church practices and dogma that occurred following the Vatican II Ecumenical Council, as well as for his rock-star appeal to young people.

The youths whom John Paul II first inspired are now approaching middle age. They are beginning to exert traditional, conservative beliefs on the American Catholic Church.

Last week The Washington Post chronicled two stories that illustrate the trend. One was about the arrival of a Dominican nun from Nashville, Tenn., to lead a new Catholic high school in Arlington, Va.

The Nashville Dominicans -- properly known as the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia -- are a phenomenon. They're flourishing at a time when most Catholic orders have suffered steep declines. They are a traditional teaching order whose nuns wear a full habit, even when they play soccer.

That they can play soccer is a reflection of their youth. The median age of a Nashville Dominican sister is 35, half the age of the average American nun. But youthful energy isn't the catalyst of their appeal. It's their strict adherence to Catholic orthodoxy, which includes prayer three times a day, dining in silence and daily meditation.

Not all American Catholics, particularly older ones, embrace the back-to-basics approach started by John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. This generational chasm was revealed in a Post story about the resurgence of the Tridentine Mass after Benedict XVI, relaxed restrictions on its celebration.

Conducted in Latin, it's a longer, very formal service in which the priest faces the altar, not parishioners. Younger Catholics value the solemnity and find it more contemplative than the modern mass. Many older Catholics find the Tridentine Mass cold and stifling. They question how one gains spiritually from a service said in a language few understand.

The Latin Mass debate is symptomatic of a larger argument among Catholics over the impact of Vatican II. Many older Catholics -- and that includes many elder bishops -- view Vatican II as liberating, empowering to the individual and socially progressive. But much of the JPII generation, beginning to hold leadership positions, longs for the tradition, discipline and Catholic uniqueness that defined the church before Vatican II.

Ultimately, the JPII generation will prevail simply by outliving their opponents, and that victory could influence future American elections. The newer generation is much more respectful of church hierarchy and could be more willing than their parents to vote their theological beliefs.

Pair a significant JPII population with a young, active prelate, such as Raleigh Bishop Michael Burbidge, 50, and the Catholic vote could become a formidable political force.

A glimpse of that potential was revealed earlier this year. During the last legislative session, Bishop Burbidge took the Raleigh Diocese into the public arena by taking stands on legislation that addressed sex education and end-of-life medical treatment. During the immigration debate in Congress last summer, Burbidge wrote three letters urging the diocese's 204,000 parishioners to support comprehensive reform.

However, as younger Catholics and their bishops become more of a political force, capturing their votes won't be easy for politicians. Republicans may love the Catholic pro-life stance against abortion and embryonic stem cell research, but the church's support for comprehensive immigration reform is a deal killer for most of the GOP base. Democrats may embrace the church's antiwar position, but balk at its belief that homosexual behavior is a sin.

The ultimate gift of Pope John Paul II's papacy to America could be the creation of a voting bloc that puts moral conviction ahead of political affiliation and expediency.