Historic surge in Catholic converts, especially amongst young people

[drumdude]

The 60 minutes video linked below reports many Catholic Churches are seeing the strongest growth in 2 decades.

Perhaps they’re drawn to the strong moral leadership of the Pope? His ability to stand up directly to Trump? There is something very attractive about someone willing to publicly stand up for what is right and not hide behind a soul-less corporate facade.

As the Pope grows more outspoken, the silence from the LDS brethren looks more like a complete failure of courage. Or a prioritization of power and wealth over the strength to hold to inconvenient moral principles.

The world remembers how Pope John Paul II stood up. Pope Leo seems to be following in his footsteps. Will any Mormon prophet ever have the guts to be as influential?

https://youtu.be/urhyDUUqGCY

[Philo Sofee]

I never thought I would say this.....like EVER..... but my respect for the Pope has grown enormously, while my skepticism of the Mormon prophet for his silence in the blatant face of Anti-Christ blasphemous evil being perpetrated by Trump has grown just as enormously. They are in favor of the Anti-Christ and stupidly don't even know it!

[Everybody Wang Chung]

The Pope is awesome! He’s proving that true spiritual influence is found in defying tyrants rather than appeasing them. Dallas Oaks would do well to take lots of notes.

[Philo Sofee]

The Pope is awesome! He’s proving that true spiritual influence is found in defying tyrants rather than appeasing them. Dallas Oaks would do well to take lots of notes.

Hell, a mere revelation from God would be better... I sorta have been wondering what He actually is thinking of what's going on in Gaza and Lebanon with his special chosen murderers... Trump is of the gentiles, so he wouldn't be nearly as interesting for God as Judah is! I mean, after all, that Jesus dude did come and say love your enemies and do unto others as you would have them do to you, and love your neighbor as yourself. Somehow Judah missed the memo.......

[Wonhyo]

Mormon, Inc. seems to endeavor to offend as few far-right people as possible these days, at least since the great COVID vaccine revolt in 2020. And if that means staying silent during a time of war while the Pope condemns the same, so be it.

Isn't God awesome?

[Fence Sitter]

I am a fan of the Pope. We see a leader who, in many aspects, is out in front of social issues and unafraid to speak his mind. Unlike SLC leadership that mostly hides behind anonymity and ambiguity when announcing anything.


For what it is worth, the 60 Minutes story above is badly misleading. There is no "historic" surge in Catholic converts on any sort of meaningful level. That segment relies on local short-term numbers over a short time span which really don't show national trends. And while the headline may be accurate on a local level in some places, it also completely leaves out the fact that larger numbers of people are leaving at the same time. I guess they have been paying attention to how the Mormon church touts its numbers.

Here is a quote from a recent NYT article explaining what were seeing,

With Easter looming, let’s throw out some recent examples of conflicting revival-related evidence. First, new data showing that in 2025 the nonreligious share of the American population declined yet again, with the atheist-agnostic share back down to the levels of 2014. (A point for the revivalists!) Second, a retraction of a much-cited study in Britain that purported to show a Christian revival among younger people in England and Wales. (A point for the no-revivalists!) Third, a story by my colleagues tracking a big rise in conversions to Roman Catholicism across many American dioceses. Fourth, a Pew Research Center survey showing that Catholicism loses far more lapsed Catholics than it gains in converts.

Putting the last two Catholic trends together helps explain a key reason this debate is so unsettled: It’s entirely possible for a faith to experience revival and decline simultaneously.

See here.

So, like the Mormon church, there are a lot of new converts, but, also like the Mormon church, long term believers are leaving or at a minimum failing to repopulate the church with the next generation.

[drumdude]

long term believers are leaving or at a minimum failing to repopulate the church with the next generation.

Many of my millennial friends are actively choosing not to have children, religious or not. It’s a really difficult time to be optimistic about the future, both financially and politically.

Churches, Catholics and LDS included, need to really focus on young people starting families and be a real source of support.

[Fence Sitter]

Churches, Catholics and LDS included, need to really focus on young people starting families and be a real source of support.

Honestly, if either of those organizations were truly guided by a higher power, you’d expect them to be leading on responsible approaches to population and resource use. A lot of the world’s problems trace back to the strain on limited resources, and it’s hard to ignore that connection.

[I Have Questions]

long term believers are leaving or at a minimum failing to repopulate the church with the next generation.

Many of my millennial friends are actively choosing not to have children, religious or not. It’s a really difficult time to be optimistic about the future, both financially and politically.

Churches, Catholics and LDS included, need to really focus on young people starting families and be a real source of support.

The LDS church has reduced the age at which females can serve missions, so it matches the male age. They’ve also said they want missionaries to spend time on their missions picking out a marriage partner so that they can wed and start producing children as soon as they get back from their missions. So there’s that.

[sock puppet]

Mormon, Inc. seems to endeavor to offend as few far-right people as possible these days, at least since the great COVID vaccine revolt in 2020. And if that means staying silent during a time of war while the Pope condemns the same, so be it.

Isn't God awesome?

Mormons should take heart in the fact God is talking to mankind, even if it is through the Pope and not the LDS President.