The exodus of young Catholics
Nine out of ten 'cradle Catholics' leave
How’s this for a striking statement of the problem facing the Catholic Church:
“We are losing nine out of ten cradle Catholics.”
That is the finding of Michael Rota and Stephen Bullivant, writing in the Church Life Journal. And if you read just the beginning of their short but powerful analysis, you’ll see that they have the figures to back that statement.
Young Catholics are leaving the Church in droves, and most of those who stay— who still identify themselves as Catholics, at least— aren’t actually practicing the faith on the regular basis. That is, they don’t come to Mass.
You probably know that already, if you go to Mass regularly yourself, and glance around the pews. You see older folks, and children, but the young people— the future of the Church— aren’t there. And if they don’t come to Mass, odds are their children won’t, either.
In the US, we haven’t yet seen a major contraction in the overall Catholic population. Immigrants have filled some of the pews that would otherwise be empty. But that’s only a temporary solution; the children of immigrants are dropping out, too. Of course some new Catholics join us at every Easter Vigil, but Rota and Bullivant warn: “For every one Catholic convert, about nine or ten Catholics leave.”
The Church Life Journal article does not offer a solution to this, the problem that threatens the future of the Catholic Church in the US. The authors recommend parish programs designed to promote faith formation. But haven’t we already experimented with all sorts of youth programs? How about a different approach?
How about ensuring that when those cradle Catholics are young— when they are still coming to Mass— they see and hear and say and do things that impress upon them the ineffable beauty and transcendent power of the Holy Sacrifice?
Do I have to spell it out?