PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: England is becoming Catholic once more as young people increasingly turn to the Roman Catholic faith over protestant Anglicanism.
👥 Who’s Involved: Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, young people in Britain.
📍 Where & When: A survey of young practising Christians in England and Wales was released on May 8.
💬 Key Quote: “Ten years ago, numbers might have been half that.” – Catholic priest Father Kensy Joseph on attendance at a London church youth program.
⚠️ Impact: If the trend continues, practising English Catholics will outnumber Anglicans for the first time since the Protestant Reformation.
IN FULL:
An increasing number of young people in England and Wales are joining or practicing the Roman Catholic faith, with the number of practicing Catholics now exceeding the number of practicing Anglicans. A poll from YouGov reveals that young men, particularly, are flocking to the Christian faith.
The poll, commissioned by the Bible Society, shows a 56 percent rise in those attending church at least once a month. Among those aged 18 to 24, regular church attendance jumped from just four percent in 2018 to 16 percent in 2024.
The Church of England, the state religion of England, headed by King Charles III, is not where young people are going. Many are attending Roman Catholic churches to the extent that practising Catholics now outnumber Anglicans among those aged 18 to 54.
If the trend continues, practising Catholics could be a more significant bloc than Anglicans for the first time since England’s Protestant Reformation, sparked by King Henry VIII in the 1500s.
“Ten years ago, numbers might have been half that,” said Catholic priest Father Kensy Joseph, speaking of the attendance at the Farm Street church in London, which normally attracts as many as 180 people for its young adult program.
The interest in Catholicism in England comes amid a surge of adult baptisms in France this year. The country saw a record 10,384 adult baptisms at Easter last month.
Young Catholics are also increasingly interested in the traditional Latin Rite, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), in many parts of the world. A 2023 French survey found 40 percent of young French Catholics like the TLM, while the traditionalist pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres last year saw a record 18,000 attendees.
The rise in popularity of Catholicism in some parts of Western Europe comes amid the election of Pope Leo XIV, who some are optimistic may unify the liberal and traditional wings of the Church.
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