The 60 Minutes (CBS News) report below is focused on America, but the same sentiment seems to be visible even in Western Europe and Quebec. What is going on?
The statistics do not seem to indicate that, but we do have an explanation: as the older generation passes away, those who still merely went to Church out of habit or culture are leaving (or dying) in droves -- while, among the young, a strong sentiment of belonging is taking thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of young people to the Church.
Now, even hundreds of thousands pale when compared with millions. So the statistics will still show for some time a strong decline in practicing Catholics. But if one motivated convert, or revert, has the religious energy of ten lukewarm Catholics, how much more will be the impact of these new groups of converts? One thing they all seem to have in common is a love for traditions, and occasionally for Tradition, and even for the Traditional Mass. We pray this new "creative minority" (in the then-Card. Ratzinger's words) will usher in a stronger and more faithful Church.
60 Minutes: Catholic conversions rising:
Inside the Catholic Church's quiet revival
