We are experiencing an unprecedented surge in conversions, a historic shift that makes me think Christianity in the West is not dying but simply changing form.
While it is true that Christianity is disappearing in some areas due to persecution, it is growing in others and changing form, because religion is now experienced in a more existential and intentional way.
This phenomenon is at the same time global and contradictory, because while there has been talk of a crisis in recent times, the reality depends on which parts of the world are being examined and the social dynamics involved.
There is no “return to religion” in a general sense; on the contrary, religion is declining as a social tradition and inherited practice. Yet, it is on the rise as a personal and conscious choice, leading to an increasing number of adult conversions.
Conversion often stems from a sense of incompleteness and a search for meaning and that’s when a spiritual need emerges.
As in the U.S., there is an existential and not a social dynamic in Europe as well.
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Pope Benedict XVI had spoken about this, arguing that the Christianity of the future will no longer be a mass phenomenon but will consist of small, highly motivated, and more conscious groups.
In Europe, infant baptisms are plummeting, while adult baptisms are rising sharply.
In the U.S., the number of converts is growing, especially among young people. Thus, the Christian faith is not disappearing, but the way people come to it is changing.
American Gen Z is reconnecting with Catholicism for two main reasons.
First and foremost, religion provides stability, meaning, and a sense of community to young people who are otherwise suffering from technological isolation, including anxiety and depression: faith is a response to modern-day unease.
Furthermore, young people are searching for something profound and authentic—not superficial—and Catholicism seems appealing because it offers ritual, promotes strong values, and provides a coherent worldview.
Europe presents us with the paradox of secularization because faith is often discovered in adulthood.
The more secularized a society is, the more “strong” conversions emerge. This is evident in France, for instance, where adult baptisms are on the rise (increasing from 4,895 in 2021 to over 21,000 per year today).
Once upon a time, people were born Christian by culture; now, many do not receive a religious education, and therefore, faith is no longer “taken for granted.” Those who embrace it do so by personal choice and often after a long journey.
This is not a return to the past. We are not reverting to traditional religious society. It’s a transformation: religion is becoming less widespread, yet more deliberate and conscious. And it is a response to modernity, because faith is now an answer to contemporary problems, not a relic of the past. But it is a selective phenomenon, involving, in particular, young adults, people on a spiritual quest, and urban as well as secularized contexts.
Pope Leo XIV was in Rimini the other day at the 2026 Communion and Liberation meeting and, while speaking to the youth, he said: “The fact that you are Christians comes as a surprise to many today,” and he urged: “You are a sign that the future is a promise, not a threat. Put yourselves out there. Open yourselves to true Catholicity, extending your bonds beyond any overly narrow sense of belonging. Resist whatever seeks to distance you from your brothers and sisters of different cultures, sensibilities, and backgrounds, especially the poorest among them. Go out, instead, and reach out to everyone. The world needs you, your enthusiasm, your charity, and your faithfulness.”
Let us, therefore, free our coexistence from suspicion, culture from arrogance, education from ideology, work from the idolatry of profit, and technology and finance from the business of death.
Starting with the organizations we have created and in which we operate, let us expose the unjust power structures that lie at the root of poverty and inequality, war, and disasters. Let us rein in technological development when it becomes pervasive and destructive. We need courageous pioneers who, beginning with their own change of course, can make the conversion required of everyone convincing and credible.
And for this, an educational challenge is needed; it is not an escape from the world but an immersion of faith for the world. The future must be a promise, not a threat. Therefore, do not be afraid to shine with the torch of your faith and simply go out to meet everyone.
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