John Paul's Soldiers

Scott Pelley Reports On The Catholic Church's Future In America

(CBS)  There are a lot of issues that American Catholics would like to open up for discussion: the issue of married priests, divorced single mothers taking communion, and genetic research. But John Paul's answer to all of these has been no. And these young men seem to support his position.

"They're all very much opposed to the direction of which American culture seems to be going," says Baumann. "The pope offers an alternative vision of what American life can be -- what life can be like, what is meaningful."

"But the pope's position on many of these issues is opposed to what a lot of people in American pews are thinking," says Pelley.

"Yes, I think that's accurate," says Baumann.

Dan Hanley, 33, will be preaching to the people in the pews of Arlington, Va. What does he say to those who believe the pope has not entered the modern age when it comes to the clergy?

"If you look at most of the people that say that, they're mostly older," says Hanley. "If you look at most of the people that think that he is engaging the modern world, and speaking to them, it's the youth."

About 800 young men have graduated from this seminary over the course of John Paul’s pontificate, and if history is any guide, those men are likely to be among the most important Catholic leaders in America.

The school building is almost literally in the shadow of the dome of St. Peter’s. The college was created in 1859, and it’s hard to overestimate the influence this place has had on the church back in the United States. Among all American seminaries, this one has produced by far the most bishops and cardinals -- cardinals who will help elect the next pope.

There are 13 cardinals in the United States -- seven are alumni of the college, leading some of America’s largest archdioceses in New York, Baltimore and Detroit.

What is the influence of this place going to be on the church over the next generation?
"This place is not much different than all the seminaries back home. I think the guys have the same voice," says Hanley. "Some people like to use this term of 'John Paul's soldiers.' I like to use more -- we're followers of John Paul II. But I would say you'd be hard pressed to find any guy, in any seminary, either here or in the United States, that's not a follower of John Paul II. So, talk about his legacy. His legacy will continue in each one of us, you can be sure of that."

Lenny Gonzales, from Bethesda, Md., is in his third year. When the men in this seminary look at John Paul, what do they see? "I would say they see a hero," says Gonzales.

Gonzales was a nuclear submarine engineer specializing in acoustics when he heard the call. Now, he’s 40. The call came later than most, but he remembers seeing the pope in Baltimore’s Camden Yards, back in 1995. That experience never left him. A few years later, he says, he quit his job to study under the “great” man who inspired him.

"There have been two popes in the history of the church that have the title 'the Great.' You have Leo the Great and Gregory the Great, the 5th century and the 6th century," says Gonzales. "Now the rumor is that John Paul II will be the next 'Great,' the next pope whose title will be 'the Great.' That says a lot when you talking about 2,000 years of history, and only two popes have been given that title."

Those inspired by John Paul will lead the church for at least the next 40 years. They will be challenged by fewer worshipers at Mass -- the fallout and shame of the sex abuse scandals and fewer men following them into the priesthood.

While they may not be a large group, they speak with conviction in defense of the church’s moral stands, and the pope’s support of them.

"They're looking for truth. A truth. We recognize that certain truths don't change," says Baumann. "Certain things are right, and certain things are wrong, and they're looking for that. And sometimes I think in our culture, it's suggested that the truth is a question of majority rule. Well, certainly John Paul II has said that's not the case. The truth is something that you can recognize -- that is not up to majority rule and that we need to protect."

In October, 60 Minutes was allowed a rare opportunity to join the students of the North American Pontifical College, for their ancient graduation rite in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica.

After four years of study, they were ordained deacons below the nearly 400-year-old dome designed by Michelangelo. They lay near what are believed to be the remains of the first pope, St. Peter, in a gesture of unworthiness before God and the need for prayer.

A class photo was taken at the bronze alter of the chair thought to hold the remains of St. Peter’s wooden throne. From the seat of the Catholic Church, they will head back to America, as sure of their beliefs as they were of their pope – the last American class of John Paul II.

"John Paul was a man of the 20th century," says Pelley. "Ministering in the 21st century is your problem."

"That's right. I don't know what's gonna happen 20 or 30 years down the road, but things are going to be difficult," says Gonzales.

"I like to think that I'm gonna have a small part in trying to make the world better in my own little neck of the woods. And if I can do that, then I think I've fulfilled my mission in life, and also been true to the message of John Paul II."