NEWS ANALYSIS : Rekindling the Flock’s Spirit : Pilgrimage: The joyful youths were indeed moved by the Pope. But it is unclear whether minds were changed on the most controversial issues.

At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where American pioneers crossed on their journey along the Oregon Trail, Pope John Paul II on Sunday ended a four-day pilgrimage of evangelization and a call to orthodoxy in a nation where Roman Catholics often stray from the path.

As the spectacle drew to a close with a pontifical Mass celebrated outdoors before an estimated 350,000 weary but joyful pilgrims, there was widespread agreement that John Paul had rekindled the spirits of his youthful flock.

But it remained to be seen whether he changed many minds on issues that divide many Catholics from their church, including the church’s prohibition against married priests, the ordination of women and artificial birth control.

“Polarization and destructive criticism have no place among those who are of the household of faith,” the Pope declared Sunday. “So many problems arise when people think of the church as ‘theirs,’ when in fact she belongs to Christ.”

The Pope reasserted the church’s teachings against artificial birth control and abortion, denounced urban violence and “the culture of death” that demeans human life and underscored his view that all society, including the media, has a responsibility for what is happening.

But even as John Paul reproached those who would depart from church teachings, he took care to describe the U.S. church as “vital and dynamic, rich in faith and love and holiness.”

At the same time, the Pope for the first time publicly addressed the “suffering and scandal” that have resulted from sex abuse by priests, an issue that has rocked the church especially hard in the United States.

His statement, which followed a letter to U.S. bishops last June, received a lukewarm welcome Sunday from Jeanne Miller, president and founder of the 3,000-member Victims of Clergy Abuse Link Up, based in Wheeling, Ill.

She said the Pope was “on the right track” but that she was awaiting “more substantial” action by the church, leading to the prompt removal of priests accused of sexual misconduct. The Pope named a committee in June to examine how local bishops can move quickly under church law against priests accused of such wrongdoing.

Despite such controversies, World Youth Day--in the view of Catholic leaders here--was everything it was intended to be, an ecstatic celebration of faith by 186,000 Catholic youths and young adults from more than 70 countries.

“I think the Pope is constructing the future. He’s not fighting the past. He’s constructing the future, and for that he needs young people,” papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro said.

In his remarks calling Catholics to service in their faith, the Pope unmistakably acknowledged the challenges facing the church in the United States. He spoke of confusion over “fundamental truths.” He said Catholics are in danger of losing their faith. He noted a shortage of priests, nuns and brothers to give support and guidance.

Over and over, John Paul called on the faithful not to be discouraged and exhorted them to answer the church’s call to live a life of faith. “We must be convinced that Christ is knocking at many hearts, looking for young people like you to send into the vineyard, where an abundant harvest is ready,” he said.

For many Catholics, such undiluted evangelism was a new experience.

“It is not so much an appeal to the intellect but an appeal to the profound truth in the heart, the absolute goodness and mercy of God. Most Catholics have not heard that,” Denver Archbishop James Stafford said.

But for four days here, emphasis on evangelism was the order of the day. It was the church at its most triumphant; a panorama of trumpet fanfares, large choirs, Gospel music, prayers, incense and, of course, the Pope himself. It had its intended effect.

“I was questioning my faith before I came on this trip. Not anymore. No way,” said Tim Bradley, 17, of Indianapolis.

There was no escaping the fact that participants left Denver with a renewed sense of their faith. The Right Rev. Francis Maniscalco of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops proclaimed, “It’s the rebirth of joy as a Christian virtue.”

Further, by immersing U.S. Catholics in an international rally such as this, many came to realize that issues that dominate the media and the church in the United States--women in the priesthood and sexual abuse, for example--are not necessarily the concerns of Catholics in developing countries or those torn by war. There, economic justice, religious freedom and even survival itself are of greater concern.

“The issues in North America are totally different than the issues faced in other countries,” Colleen Cleary, 24, of Milwaukee said.

Prelates and others said it may be years before the impact of the papal trip is known on the life of the church and how those present will shape its future.

But there was no mistaking the power and charisma of John Paul. At the Sunday Mass, an aged nun gripped a chain link fence with her wrinkled hands to get a last look at the Pope. Groups of teen-agers tried to outdo each other in shouting: “We love John Paul, yes we do. We love John Paul, how about you?”