Exploring young Maltese people’s attitudes towards and perceptions of the Catholic Church

Abstract

This study sought to understand the different concepts of young people's spirituality, and their attitudes towards and perceptions of the Catholic Church, especially in the way it affects their lives, with special interest in what values or obstacles the Church has presented them. It aimed to provide critical insight into what young people want from the Church, and to investigate if they believe whether or not the Church still has a role in today’s society. A qualitative study was carried out through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 8 young people between the ages of 18 and 30. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast what believers and non-believers believe about the Church, and how it links to their spirituality and religiosity. It resulted in most of the participants demonstrating a level of spirituality, despite not all being religious. All participants had comments about how the Church can improve to become better for the individuals who are both within and outside of it, with the aim of creating positive change in society. Furthermore, the study suggests a number of ways forward, prompted by the ideas from the interview answers, such as for members of the Church to sit down with young people in order to understand what they want from the Church. It seems that young people with different perceptions and experiences of spirituality agree that the Church should go through serious discernment and evaluation in several aspects of its modes of teaching in order to revive its connection with young people and the modern world, while still holding onto its fundamental principles.