Catholic churches across America are undergoing a big change as growing numbers of young Catholics are looking for a return to tradition from their local parishes.
While there are still many liberal Catholic parishes and conservative Catholics currently remain a minority, church leaders around the country are noticing the subtle signs of a growing wave of conservative influence.
The Way Things Were
After the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, many Catholic churches began embracing more modern, liberal sentiments. A liberal interpretation of Catholic doctrine started to influence American Catholics as the years went by, leading to softening attitudes around abortion, contraception, and homosexuality.
Currently, 6 out of 10 Catholics in America currently support abortion, despite the church being officially against the practice.
Recent Changes
Recently, followers of a Catholic Church in Wisconsin began to notice signs of change. Contemporary hymns were replaced by music from medieval Europe, a greater emphasis was placed on Hell and abortion topics in parish elementary school, and Altar girls were banned for a time.
“It was like a step back in time,” said one former parishioner, describing big changes that began in 2021 with a new pastor. The parishioner spoke to AP News on the condition of anonymity.
Unhappy With the New Way
Conservative Catholics feel like the church has been giving in too much to the changing times of the world.
What was once a long tradition of simple music has been replaced by guitars and choirs and they see many members and leaders having a more casual attitude about important church issues and doctrine.
Progressive Priests
Following Vatican II, many progressive priests took up leadership in churches in the US. However, many of them are now retired and old. These priests will have to make way for a new generation, which surveys have shown have increasingly conservative attitudes compared to their predecessors.
“They say they’re trying to restore what us old guys ruined,” said 87-year-old Rev. John Forliti, 87, a retired Twin Cities priest.
Declining Numbers
The Catholic Church in America has been struggling with declining attendance numbers in recent years. In March, Gallop reported that Catholics in America had one of the largest drops in attendance among all religious groups in the past twenty years.
Catholics attending weekly services has fallen from 45% to 33% since the 2000s.
Youth Membership
However, some Catholic groups have seen membership increase as they focus on a return to tradition mindset.
“We want this ethereal experience that is different from everything else in our lives,” said Ben Rouleau. Rouleau had recently led St. Maria Goretti’s young adult group. The group saw membership swell with new members even while parish numbers overall declined.
Returning to the Roots
Conservative Catholic adherents hope to tap into the past to revive enthusiasm around the church for the future. In their view, going forward isn’t the only way to look ahead.
“It’s radical in some ways,” Rouleau said. “We’re returning to the roots of the church.”
Call to Action
In 1993, Pope John Paul II delivered a dire warning to believers in a Denver football stadium that may have been a genesis for the now-emerging conservative trend in American Catholics.
John Paul II told a crowd of over 500,000 people that Catholics “are in danger of losing their faith,” placing the blame on issues like abortion, drug and alcohol abuse, pornography, sexual disorders, and violence.
Conservative Growing Conditions
Young Catholics after the Pope’s speech grew up more exposed to conservative thought than previous generations. Traditionalist conservative college organizations gained popularity on campuses and conservative Catholic TV network EWTN spread a traditionalist message across the airwaves to more people.
Now, conservative voices in the Catholic church have a stronger influence among bishops and church intellectuals.
Few New Progressive Priests
In a November survey of Catholic priests by The Catholic Project, the results showed that progressive and liberal ideologies among new priests have “now all but vanished.”
Now an overwhelming majority of new priests, over 80%, identify as conservative or orthodox, with over 20% saying they are “very conservative/orthodox.” Less than 20% are middle-of-the-road or progressive, and close to no new priests identify as “very progressive.”
Current Pope Worries About America
The current Pope of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, has expressed worries about what he calls a “reactionary attitude” he has seen in America.
“Being backward-looking is useless,” Francis told a group of Jesuits in 2023. Francis has been pushing the church to be more inclusive and has previously expressed softer views on gay relationships and divorce. In December, Francis formally approved blessings for same-sex couples.
