Yesterday, April 26, millions across the world watched with rapt attention as the Holy See laid to rest the Bishop of Rome, otherwise known as the Pope. For those who appreciate tradition, perhaps none is better at pomp and circumstance than the Vatican. However, as the faithful mourn the loss of Pope Francis, there is reason to celebrate. The central figure of the Roman Catholic Church, Jesus Christ, is growing in popularity, especially among young people.
Spreading the Gospel is a chief tenet of Christianity, though it can be said that coming to faith is a supernatural encounter with the living God. Throughout the centuries, there have been periods of inexplicable revival when many flock to the saving grace of Jesus. Recent research indicates that such a spiritual mystery is now occurring throughout the United Kingdom and the United States.
A poll of 13,000 people conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Bible Society provides insight and confirmation of a revival. If accurate, the survey reveals that the UK is seeing a quadrupling of those under 25 now attending church:
“The Quiet Revival shows that the most dramatic church growth is among young adults, particularly young men. In 2018, just 4 per cent of 18–24-year-olds said that they attended church at least monthly. Today, says The Quiet Revival, this has risen to 16 per cent, with young men increasing from 4 per cent to 21 per cent, and young women from 3 to 12 per cent.”
In terms of church attendance, the poll discovered that men outpace women by 13% to 10%. This startling revelation also indicates that “some 67 per cent of churchgoing Christians read the Bible at least weekly outside church,” according to the poll. Oddly, the two denominations posting the most significant growth are Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism. It could be said that these two sects of Christianity are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Come to Jesus Movement
In the US, young people are finding a spiritual home in the Roman Catholic Church. Diocese records show an uptick somewhere between 30% to 70%. For example, the Fort Worth, TX, diocese “experienced a 72% jump in converts just from 2023 to 2024.”
So, what exactly causes those under 25 to get out of bed on Sunday morning and go to Mass? Some claim they find the church's sacramental tradition attractive.
Dr. Rob Barward-Symmons, co-author of the UK study, chalks up the rise in conversion to Catholicism as simple as the age-old search for meaning in life reminiscent of the famed quote by Blaise Pascal: “There is a god shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which any created thing cannot fill, but only God, The Creator, made known through Jesus.” One young convert was quoted in the National Catholic Register confirming Pascal’s supposition, “You could say there was a raging storm taking place inside of me—like, I had to know. There was something pushing me to know where the truth actually comes from.”
Gen Z appears to be moving at breakneck speed toward Christianity in both the United Kingdom and the US. Such a movement is being labeled as “the spiritual generation.” As Helen Coffey wrote in The Independent, “[P]erhaps the most surprising thing of all is the number of young people who are going against the secular grain. Looking around on a Sunday morning, the demographics are wildly different from the expected cluster of silver-haired worshippers – instead, there’s a diverse spectrum comprised of teenagers, young adults and extended families with toddlers and kids zooming around, as well as people in their thirties, forties and every decade beyond.”
For years, Christianity has been waning in the UK. And for a time, the Roman Catholic flock was dwindling in the US. In 2021 and 2022, the percentage of people who “made a personal commitment to follow Jesus” bottomed out at 54%. Since then, the numbers have risen to 66%, according to a study conducted by Barna titled The State of the Church 2025.
For anyone who has experienced one, conversions carry three vital elements: They are supernatural, powerful, and personal. C.S. Lewis, who called himself an unlikely convert, once intoned, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” This appears to be the motivation behind the explosion of Christianity among young people today. But then again, trying to explain the supernatural could be said as nothing more than folly.
