Why Young Catholics leave their Mother Church

1. Introduction
Most of the Young Catholics are leaving the Catholic Church. In search for the possible
reasons and the solutions thereof, a discussion was held by the members of the Mbarara
Archdiocese Catholic Group (Whatsapp) led by Eng. Mujunansi Patrick and moderated
by Mr. Edgar Buryahiika was held on 25th June 2020 on whatsapp.

2. Abstract
The community has been saturated with the so called miracles, holy rice, magic, holy
handkerchiefs, holy oil, holy water, etc. distributed by selfish, capitalistic, business-
oriented itinerant disoriented roadside preachers who have graduated in dreaming and
cramming bible verses and misinterpreting the word of God to fit their underlying
hidden agenda! And all poured into the zealous unsuspecting and ambitious minds of
youth! It's a pity!
Jesus didn't act that way! Unfortunately, the eyes of the young men and women are
closed to the realities and are drawn into the unending satanic pit of burning sulphur with
the agents of satan whom we follow these days! It’s a pity indeed!
Nonetheless, in the midst of all this, Pope Francis in the Preparatory document1 for the
XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (From 3th to 28 October)
addressing the “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment” calls us to listen
to young people since the Church will once again hear the Lord speaking in today’s
world.
It’s in that spirit that we need to identify the reasons why the young Catholics leave their
mother Church and seek to address the challenges.

3. Why the Young Catholics Leave the Church?

Under here, we look at the reason why the young (even old ones) Catholics leave their
mother Church. Below were the inputs of the members.
1. The World today is affected by neoliberalism/capitalism. Use of media/technology
is a wooing tool.
2. Most of the young folk are not aware of the Catholic Catechism because they
never got a chance to be drilled through all basics prior to their confirmation. As a
result, they remain Sunday catholics but deep in the Spirit, there is indifference
and skepticism.
3. Another major reason is "uncensoring of wrong teachings". While studying CRE
for example, one is taken through a castigation of this same church-alleging that
the teaching about hell (God’s justice) was just used to scare people. But this
teaching is what can rebuke, admonish and exhort a Christian who minds the
salvation of his soul.

1
Preparatory Document. (2017). Retrieved June 26, 2020, from
http://www.synod.va/content/synod2018/en/fede-discernimento-vocazione/preparatory-document1.html
4. Child neglect by most parents. Most Parents have foregone the role of caring for
their Children that includes passing on the faith. It is here that faith has been lost
since the house maids can’t do that role.
5. Technology and Modernism constitute exaggerated showbiz/show off, fashion and
trends which is a wrong and temporal taste for us the youth under the pretext of
misinterpreted pleasure and enjoyment merely at the level of sentiments, emotions
and feelings, but for a little while at the expense of the core Catholic lasting
traditions and teaching (magisterium) in eternal realities based on unshakable faith
emanating from a self-surrendering heart to heavenly realities devoid of mere
temporal happiness, joys and sentiments (found in amazing fabricated magic
called miracles and capitalistic gospel music with a modern touch of unnecessary
simplicity and softness of everything! And yet, today Jesus tells to build our faith
on the foundation of "hard" rock (Him) rather than building our faith on Sand!
(Cf. Mt. 7: 21-29). It is a pity but we still have a long way to go!!
6. Most of the Parents have rebelled against the Church's authority on family. Most
Catholics minding about the salvation of the soul take their children to secular
Schools with anti-Catholic doctrine. In a short run, he will be encountered by
Pentecostal shrewd wolves that will indoctrinate him/her with the faith that will
turn him/her into a future deleterious rebel against the Catholic faith.
7. Misinterpretation of the Vatican Council II. Most people have misinterpreted the
pastoral recommendations made by the Council fathers. The Council fathers,
seeking to better evangelize the modern world, sought liturgical reforms that
would allow for full, conscious and active participation by Catholics. The liturgy
was now considered the source and summit of Catholic life, often leading to the
demotion of the very devotional practices that once sustained a robust Catholic
identity. But the changes of the 1960s and 1970s directed Catholics to an
assumption that change was always around the corner. Then “Humanae Vitae”
and its affirmation of the traditional Catholic ban on contraception became an
occasion in which both ordained and lay Catholics found themselves (perhaps for
the first time) rebelling against ecclesial authority. Weak Catholics used Vat. II to
rebel, out of their own whims.
8. Then our church also has a problem, unlike the other churches our youth run to,
our church is devoid of social engagement. In most of the Parishes, apart from
going for Sunday Mass, there are no social activities for youth outside the church.
It’s in these social activities that the challenges affecting the youth are addressed.
Most of the youth that run away, its greatly due to the social challenges.
9. In most schools, students are not at liberty of exercising their respective religions,
some are forced to pray from certain religions according to the base of the school,
others have looked at classes to be the most important activity in the school thus
no time for anything else.
10. Not all of us have a strong family background in terms of finances. These
upcoming churches take that advantage and fund most of the affected on condition
that they will always pray from their churches. In the end these humble souls find
them with no option after being helped out.
11. Relationship issues. Someone finds a friend who is from the other religion and in
order to please that individual, he/she has to go and pray from their church. At the
 end of the day, they find themselves in a complicated situation left with no option
other than leaving their mother Church.

4. Way forward
Below are some of the suggested solutions to the above reasons
1. It’s a prime duty of every Christian to know their faith and evangelise to others.
Let’s go out.
2. In reference to reason 2, there is need to re-examine the competence of our
confirmands. At some Parish (name withheld), an exam was conducted on some
catechists who train these young men. The same questions were asked to them.
They scored poorly.
3. We must teach the gravity of breaking any of the 10 commandments in the wider
perspective. We must move an extra mile to shout from the roof tops the need to
avoid the seven capital vices2 as per the catechism. Without full awareness, there is
a risk of an indifference in Eucharistic reception which may limit the unveiling of
truths.
4. Our catechism is long and complicated. It should be an ongoing process. An
avenue should be created in which there is continuous teaching of the Catechism
just like it’s done by Radio Maria and the community of the Opus Dei.
5. The Parents need to live a life that is exemplary. Once the Parents live positively in
front of their children towards church programs, the youth will learn the same in
return.
6. Our small Christian communities need to be engaged to do something beyond
collecting envelopes for Easter and Christmas and taking a priest for anointing of
the sick. The concept of “cell” in the Anglican and Pentecostals has been drawn
from the Catholics but they have made it better.
7. We need to encourage different Catholic movements like CCR, Legion of Mary
among others that are trying to penetrate most of the schools to engage the
students.

5. Conclusion
While we point fingers at who has done wrong, the other finger points back at us; have we
been the good Catholics the youth can emulate? It is so disturbing when the Catholics we
look up do unexpected things, engaging bin corruption, bribery, neglecting our duty of
service and others. “Be careful how you live your life. You may be the only bible someone
will read”.
We need not to blame the clergy but rather as Lay people need to take on the mantle of doing
the apostolate because the 1% of the clergy cannot be enough for the rest of the laity.
Early formation by our families results into good Catholics. Parents should take up and own
this role of training their children.

2
The seven capital vices originating from our Christian theology are pride, envy, vainglory, greed as avarice or
covetousness, and wrath anger
Most youth who leave the Church are challenged of more of traditions upon being confronted
with a popular question “Where is it in the Bible” a popular mimic of non-Catholics
forgetting that in the Bible itself we are instructed by the apostles to hold on traditions.3
Thank you!
Prepared by
Victor Nashaba
nasvictor2013@gmail.com

3
2 Thessalonians 2:15-“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us,
either by our spoken word or by our letter.”