Paris
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The Catholic Church is no stranger to the resurrection.
Decades after a decline in attendance and a decline in faith in most parts of the Western world, Roman Catholicism may be witnessing an unexpected revival.
And for today’s churches, the update comes from the most unlikely corner, as many churches in the West are known to seek elderly church people, aged priests and catastrophic sexual abuse scandals: Gen Z.
For these young people, which cannot be analysed from the often-existing “IRL” (in real life), this move towards faith is at least in part due to the increased ecosystem of Catholic personalities on social media.
We have uncovered new audiences and voices, opportunities and challenges in the Catholic Church in ways that the Vatican cannot control, but we want to make the most of it.
France has become a hot spot for this youthful turn to God.
According to data from the French Catholic Church, baptism between 18 and 25 years of age has more than quadrupled over the past four years, while adult baptism has risen by more than 160% over the past decade.
This Easter – the traditional time of baptism – was a record 17,800 people, and the number of adult baptisms has increased by 45% compared to 2024, data show.
This represents a surprising revival, as we have seen much of the Western world have seen church attendance decline in recent years, although traditionally known as the “oldest son of the church” due to its millennium relationship with Catholicism. Various studies have shown that population shares are heading weekly between 2-5%.
“God passes the algorithm.” Meet a Catholic nun who shares her faith online
“We have almost announced the end of Catholicism,” Sister Albertine Debacker, a 29-year-old Catholic influencer who goes on @Soeur.albertine Online, told CNN. “I used to think it was really grandma’s thing.”
She has become one of the biggest names in the French online Catholic world, with 334,000 followers on Instagram and another 202,000 on Tiktok to 202,000.
“What’s happening among young people is that they dare to speak between themselves. Religion is not a taboo subject,” said sister Albertin.
An explanation like Sister Albertin offers a one-stop shop for those who want to learn more about the Catholic faith. She offers worship services (an exam time prayer video won 2.3 million views), life advice), life advice, guidance on becoming a nun or being baptized, and explanations of important Catholic teachings.
Her offerings include “How to Forgiveness,” “Church Money,” and “Three Tips for Starting Reading the Bible.”
“She’s very authentic,” 20-year-old Jeanne Fabre told CNN at a youth festival around Lac du Bourgette in eastern France. “There are quite a few priests on social media, but to see nuns – it has a new spirit, a new freshness.”
The fact that she is of their generation and a woman makes it easier for some people outside the church to ask questions and interact with everything she shares, attendee Herois Halzo said.
Among the growing herd of sister Albertin’s followers is a large number of non-believers, some of whom are drawn to the unusual and pleasant curiosity that provides a window into another world.
Her video is easy to watch. The intensely warm sister Albertine has no controversy. It’s a more family-friendly kids show than an avid podcast host, but she doesn’t change the difficult questions and doesn’t sell any products.
In one video, a Catholic asks if there are any issues with sex. Another video considers that the Bible does not include a single mother-daughter relationship.
“She speaks to us in our own language,” Fabre said, “with what you can find on social media.”
This new wave of participants into the church is called a “quiet revival.”
The youthful enthusiasm for French religion is reflected elsewhere in Europe. Church data shows that in Belgium, 10 years and baptism has almost tripled in adulthood. In Ireland’s largest parish of Dublin, nearly twice as many adults as this Easter had been baptized a year ago. Many of them were young adults accustomed to the country, and the Archdiocese of Westminster in London had the largest Easter adult baptism since 2018.
A recent study from the Pew Research Center shows that in the United States, the decline in religion appears to have stopped at first glance due to the traditional number of churches. A 2023 Harvard University survey identified more General Z Americans as Catholic, with younger men leading the trend.
But what explains this obvious revival?
Abbott Heuran, mission director for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, says the latest research is not surprising. “My conversations with people are very remarkable. At this point, there’s a real desire to know more about God,” he told CNN.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, in a “busy, loud, busy world”, we are craving “something more, something different, something that speaks of beauty and joy.”
British author Ramona Ash is one of those who embarked on a quest for that meaning. She says that the study in her second book, “Please Don’t Remember We Are Here forever” changed my understanding of faith.
“There’s a sense that there’s something more important than humanity than the realm of earth itself. Christianity is incredibly valuable to that,” said the 30-year-old writer. “There’s something about certain structures and rituals in faith. It’s just a kind of architecture.”
She said it can also provide a sense of community and insight from a tradition that has addressed existential questions for centuries.
“People can sit with the paradox and say, ‘It’s very dark for this institution,’ but at the same time I believe they find their place and don’t think their values will necessarily be cooperated with a flawed church,” she explained.
Abbott Hugh believes that the prevalence of “toxic masculinity” on social media could lead to younger men being more connected to the church.
In her research, Ash says that Catholicism is attractive to some young people because it is “integrated into a sense of order, certainty and history with a greater thing,” but also appeals to clear rules about morality given the “blurredness” of modern life.
For some, the whole idea of Catholic influencers is a paradox. Certain social media figures have become standard bearers of modern society’s consumer, individualism and echo chamber-filled vision. Many will say that it is totally probable in Christian values.
Still, this summer, Pope Leo meets 1,000 Catholic influencers at the Vatican (sister Albertin), highlighting the importance of what church leaders consider to be “digital missionaries.”
“Jesus called out the first apostle while restoring the fishing nets,” the bishop told them. “He asks us the same thing as us today. Certainly, he asks us to weave other webs: networks of relationships, networks of love.”
Leo met them in July at a massive Youth gathering that saw over a million young people gather near Rome. During the event, the first American Pope shows his Gen Z charm through his quiet charisma and authenticity, talking to the crowd in various languages, catching tennis balls from the Pepemovie and smiling as he handed out a slice of Chicago Deep Dish Pizza from Aurelio in St. Peter’s Square.
The church embrace of social media influencers is based on the idea that, in every generation, Christian messages need to be translated and expressed in a new culture. That means taking risks and embedding into a world of content that includes cat videos, violent video game clips, and what is called “thirst trap.”
It does not bother influencernan, sister Albertin.
“There’s also God’s humor. Like social media, God exists in the algorithm,” she said.
Ash Wednesday this year – one of the most calming celebrations on the Catholic calendar, marking the beginning of Lent – a video posted by Z showed off a ton of ashes foreheads.
For many Catholics, it has long been a common practice to wipe the ashes following the mass when leaving a place of worship, especially in France.
But that’s not the case for many Gen Z people. It shocked sister Albertin.
“It seemed crazy to me,” she said. It reminded me of the “shame” of being a Catholic at her secular high school.
