How do Catholic adolescents respond to Church structures, teaching, regulations, and practices they cannot change?

Abstract

Catholic schools are well-subscribed institutions that serve Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians. Given that sociological data shows significant non-reception of some Church teachings, however, it is apparent that some Catholic students in these schools bring meaningful disagreements with them. Since it is also apparent that not all disagreeing Catholics leave the Church, the question of how adolescent Catholics disagree while remaining is of interest to Catholic educators. This paper presents the perspectives of three Catholic adolescents who each hold strong spiritual and communal attachment to their faith, while simultaneously holding disagreements about ordination. A fourth adolescent demonstrates a meta-understanding of how one can disagree with Church teaching on same-sex marriage and remain Catholic. I interpret their views using Avery Dulles' Models of the Church, which shows these students coordinate their disagreement with sustained participation by maintaining a strong personal spirituality and not reducing their Catholic experience to doctrinal adherence.