John Paul Encounters 2 Degrees of Faith

Ricardo Alvarez has a way of scandalizing his small-town grandmother. The 21-year-old Mexico City native boogies at discos till 3 a.m. He not only pursues women, they pursue him right back. “The phone never stops ringing,” the grinning college student says.

But when it comes to religion, Alvarez and his older relatives have a surprising amount in common. In fact, the grandson appeared to be the most excited member of his family Monday about the visit here by Pope John Paul II.

“Our parents raised us as Catholics. We want to stay Catholics and spread this belief,” declared Alvarez, who was surrounded by his mother, cousins and aunts at the pope’s “meeting with all the generations of the century.”

The rally with 120,000 cheering faithful was the crowning event of the pope’s four-day trip to Mexico. Like the giant open-air Masses of the previous days, it underlined the intense religiosity that marks Mexican society despite broad changes in social customs.

For the pope, it was a chance to address one of his favorite audiences--young people like Alvarez, who will chart the church’s course in the next millennium. The aging pontiff will appeal to a similar audience today at a U.S. youth rally in St. Louis.

“In the new era that is dawning, the era of computers and powerful media . . . you, dear young people, and your contemporaries have the challenge of opening the minds and hearts of humanity to the good news of Christ,” the pope told a sea of faithful gathered in the capital’s Azteca Stadium, many of them decked out in Vatican yellow.

The pontiff had advice for parents and grandparents too: “You have the mission to seek a solid Christian formation for the new generations . . . to ensure that booming progress doesn’t blind them to what is transcendent.”

Sounding themes that have marked his trip, the pope called on four generations of Mexicans spanning the 20th century to spread the faith, promote justice and strengthen the family.

The crowd sang, shrieked and chanted “El Papa!” during the extravaganza of video, theater and dance numbers. Giant screens in the stadium featured enthusiastic crowds participating via satellite from seven other cities in the Americas, including Los Angeles.

The pope, on a red-carpeted octagonal platform in the center of the stadium, drew thunderous applause when he declared spontaneously: “Today I feel Mexican!”

In a close-knit society like Mexico, family values are more than a slogan. But while the country continues to be overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, the changes in practices and morality among the generations are striking.

Alvarez’s family is just one example. His grandmother married young, bore six children and lived with her husband for 45 years until he died. Alvarez’s mother had two children and is separated from her husband.

Alvarez accepts birth control, which the government has promoted aggressively, as an economic necessity.

“The country has gone through a cultural change. One generation had 14 kids, the next had two or three,” said Alvarez, who was dressed in a red NFL jacket, bluejeans and a Vatican-yellow bandanna. The Mexican church has become concerned about the increasing use of birth control, greater sexual freedom and declining religious observance. Mexican newspaper polls indicate that 46% of the population attended church weekly in 1997, down from 59% in 1981.

And yet, many Catholic values remain strong. For example, about 30% of Mexican marriages end in divorce or separation, compared with half in the United States.

Alvarez, an engineering and computer student, reflects the continuing strength of Catholic morality. While he accepts the idea of family planning, he is against abortion and uneasy about divorce. And he looks askance at premarital sex among his fellow students.

“It happens, but it’s not common,” he said. “Among young people, the values our parents gave us continue to hold up.”

To Alvarez’s mother, Elba Jovita Mingares, the generational changes in the church go well beyond morals. She credits the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s--such as allowing the Mass in languages other than Latin--with creating a more joyous faith.

“We grew up with a religion of fear. Now the image is ‘God is love,’ ” she said, adding quickly: “But you should still behave yourself.”

Her son concurs. He admires the faith of his 81-year-old grandmother, a daily churchgoer who was home Monday watching the pope on television. But his Catholic practice is more active, he says. He leads the youth choir at the local church and has done volunteer work in poor rural communities.

“We have adapted religion to our generation,” he said.

Not all young people share Alvarez’s commitment. Okani Gutierrez, a 15-year-old attending Monday’s celebration, admitted she often skips Mass and thinks it’s OK to have children before marriage.

But on Monday, Gutierrez was as excited as if a rock star had come to town. She even had an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, stenciled on her cheek.

“We all love him,” she added, casting a glance at the tens of thousands gathered to see John Paul II. “In this, we are united.”