New published YOUCAT Love Forever is “a guide to formation for married love”

Mark Brumley is the president of Ignatius Press, one of the nation’s biggest U.S. Catholic publishers and multimedia distributors, and also the publisher of the Catholic World Report. He holds a Master’s degree in theology from the University of Dallas and lives with his family in Napa, California.

Ignatius Press recently published YOUCAT Love Forever, the latest installment of its popular youth catechism series, with a foreword from the late Pope Francis. Originally published in 2011 with a foreword from Pope Benedict XVI, the YOUCAT later led to the YOUCAT Confirmation Book in 2014, the DOCAT (a Catholic social teaching catechism for youth) in 2016, and the abridged YOUCAT Bible in 2017, each of them with forewords from Pope Francis.

Brumley recently spoke with CWR about the latest installment of this long-running series.

CWR: What does the title “Love Forever” mean, and why was it chosen?

Mark Brumley: The title is based on St Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 13:8, which says, “Love never ends”.

YOUCAT chose the title to reflect the permanence of love as the work of God’s Spirit.

CWR: What inspired Ignatius Press to release another installment of this series 15 years after the YOUCAT first appeared?

Brumley: The need for solid evangelization and catechesis regarding love, especially married love, is obvious for people with the mind and heart of the Lord.

Pope Francis saw the problem of a lack of solid formation of young people in this area. Now Pope Leo XIV is continuing that emphasis.

Ignatius Press, as part of the international YOUCAT publishers, wants to help young people understand true love and how to live it concretely as they discern God’s call in their lives.

CWR: What is distinctive about this catechism compared to previous YOUCAT books and other catechisms for young people?

Brumley: It’s aimed at “older young” people—those thinking seriously about their adult vocations.

It’s also focused on what almost all young people are interested in—love. It brings together Jesus’ teaching on discipleship with his teachings about love and marriage.

It’s really a guide to formation for married love.

CWR: Who is the intended audience for this book? And what do you hope readers will take away from it?

Brumley: Everyone interested in understanding and living married love from the perspective of a follower of Jesus Christ.

I hope young readers will take away an excitement about the great gift the Lord has for those called to the vocation of marriage, and some fundamental understanding of what married love is all about.

CWR: The YOUCAT books have been popular and well-received. What is it about the style of these youth catechisms that makes them so appealing to teachers and students?

Brumley: A combination of solid theology, straightforward youthful presentation with input from young people themselves, and a fun design and layout. The zany stickman figure in every book helps, too!

CWR: Can you share with us one of your favorite passages or features from the book?

Brumley: Favorite features—all the great pictures of young people and the outstanding graphics.

Favorite passages? There are too many. Here’s one reflecting my experience as someone who has been married now for almost 45 years: “To accept the other person completely means to accept the person as he or she is (not just as he or she should be). Accept each other with all your rough edges, your bodies as they are today and however they will be in the future, your mind that shines today and may go on strike tomorrow, your rocky past and your still-uncertain future. Accept each other with all your strengths and weaknesses, your gifts and talents, but also your wounds and mistakes. Your wholehearted yes will allow you to support each other and grow together. But the security of being accepted must never be an excuse to fall into complacency. Being able to accept constructive criticism is part of a good marriage …” Yep.

CWR: Why do you think Church teachings on this topic have become such a tough sell in recent decades? And how do you see this book overcoming that resistance?

Brumley: The message of Jesus is always both something that corresponds to the deep desires of the human heart and something that encounters challenges in people due to the confusion we sometimes experience working through our often-conflicting wants and what our society promotes.

Human sexuality is obviously foundational for human life and meaning. That’s why distortions in this area tend to create deep personal and social disorder and confusion in many other areas of life. And that’s why the Gospel about married love is often paradoxically seen as a burden (by some) and liberating (by others).

The burden is due to our own conflicting tendencies; the liberation comes with grace and transformation through Jesus of attitudes towards our conflicting desires and inclinations.

This book deals with issues head-on, with frankness, while also understanding how young people see things today and the challenges they face in our technocratic world.

CWR: How do you see YOUCAT Love Forever becoming a resource for teachers of the faith?

Brumley: It’s a great text to be used with young people and also a great text for teachers in providing answers to questions that young people have.

CWR: What is the message of this new catechism, as you see it?

Brumley: Among the many kinds of love, the love of a man and a woman is special. In fact, it is like the love Jesus has for his Church—the Bridegroom for the Bride.

Knowing and following Jesus will transform the relationship of men and women to one another.

CWR: Any final thoughts?

Brumley: Love is or should be of interest to everyone. Married love should be for most of us.

If we want to help young people to have fulfilling lives, helping them understand God’s plan for marriage and family life is key.

YOUCAT LOVE FOREVER is a powerful tool to help with that understanding. But even some of us old married folks can benefit from it!

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