There is a serious generation gap in the Church and it has more to do with culture than age. Older Catholics talk about growing up in the famous “Catholic Ghetto”. Every person around here above 50 mentions the parish they grew up instead of the neighborhood or town. For those who grew up in the 70’s or 80’s, there wasn’t too much that separated us from non-Catholics. I am not even sure of the religion of some people I grow up with, or even if they practiced a religion.
This huge difference in the way Catholics grew up leads to different ways of looking at things. When I hear Catholics talk about Ecumenism and Interfaith issues, most of the time its older people. For me, its just not an issue I am interested in, especially since I don’t feel competent enough in my own faith. Many times when I hear people talking about latin in the mass, it’s the youngins. Social Justice is usually older Catholic, while evangelization is a young thing.