Gen Z flocks to Catholicism in search of 'truth' and 'order' as young people reject leftism

A Harvard University survey revealed a significant increase in the percentage of Generation Z identifying as Catholic, with numbers climbing 15 to 21 percent from 2022 to 2023.

In light of Holy Week and the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, Campus Reform interviewed dozens of members of Gen Z to explore this newfound embrace of Catholicism.

Many described their generation’s embrace of religion as a quest for “truth” and a rejection of leftist social values. 

“Gen Z is turning toward religion, conservatism, and traditional values because they long for order,” said Coleman Bunn, treasurer of Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Florida.

He said his generation is “looking for traditions with long histories, structure, and answers for many pertinent questions, such as the meaning of life,” which is why so many are turning to Catholicism. 

“As their environment rapidly changes, Gen Z is looking for stagnant truths,” Bunn concluded. 

Many young people told Campus Reform they are enthusiastic to see this trend. 

“The shift towards traditional Christianity and Catholicism by the youth is one of the few observable trends in American society that gives me hope for the future,” said Blake Kresses, a Gen Z digital creator and political commentator. 

Kresses converted to Catholicism one year ago and said that since then, he has answered questions and guided friends to convert to Catholicism as well.  

In his search for a church, he found that many that “seemed inauthentic in their embracing of modernism and alignment with contemporary social trends in obvious contradiction to scripture and the teachings of Christ,” and referred to churches pushing social issues like abortion, LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter, and feminism.

“Catholicism, meanwhile, retains the traditions and practices of the early church,” Kresses said. 

[RELATED: Gen Z is a bulwark against decline in Christianity, new study shows]

Many young people described the shift among their peers as a response to the world around them. 

“The 21st century is an era of confusion…Gen Z is using tradition to ground themselves,” Bunn said. 

“Gen Z was raised in a society of decaying moral structure and the near elimination of religious values from the public square, most notably in media, and witnessed first-hand the disastrous results of such a pattern,” Kresses said. 

He explained that the elimination of religious values left “young people empty and lacking purpose or meaning in their lives,” and avowed that Christianity and Catholicism “fills the holes and cures the illnesses that modern society manifests in all of us.”

Other members of Kresses’ generation agreed with his argument. 

“Members of Gen Z are being exposed to toxic cultures and recognizing how unfulfilling and draining they are. Upon adhering to the social principles outlined in Catholicism, Gen Z is growing to realize they are created by God for a greater purpose. They are discovering the beauty and purpose of traditional marriage, families, and authentic community,” said Celine Najm, communication arts and political science student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic university in Ohio. 

“When modern society is actively trying to destroy its vital cells - marriage, the nuclear family, authentic community - people are running to the institutions that have held the same foundational truths since the beginning. The Church is meant to stand strong in its values and teachings, acting as a firm foundation amidst cultural chaos,” Najm stated. 

[RELATED: ANALYSIS: Why young women are leaving religion in record numbers]

Many of the young men and women Campus Reform interviewed stressed the importance of gender roles in society, declaring them to be a driving factor in young people’s embrace of religion and tradition. 

“I have 100 percent noticed a shift in our culture and especially in Gen Z regarding traditional values. As a Christian, I think each gender has specific roles that cater to their strengths,” said Gwyn Andrews, president of Turning Point USA and Students for Life chapters at the University of West Georgia.

“As Gen Z students have grown up through recession, a pandemic, and social and cultural turmoil, having religion and gender roles has become a sense of comfort and purpose for us,” she stated. 

Andrews said she believes that her generation is shifting toward conservatism in response to the Left’s rejection of truth. 

[RELATED: Campus Reform’s coverage of Gen Z’s rightward shift: RECAP]

Many interviewees declared Gen Z’s shift toward religion to go hand-in-hand with a shift toward conservatism that was evident in the turnout of the presidential election. 

Andrews noted that “Gen Z college men in particular are tired of being told what to think and how to act,” and said “they have stood their ground on what it means to be leaders and men in our society and are pushing back against the status quo.”

Campus Reform reported that young men were a driving force in Gen Z’s support of President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, revealing a generational movement toward conservatism.  

“Trump’s support among Gen Z voters rose from 36 percent in 2020 to approximately 42 percent in 2024, marking a 6-percentage point increase, which shows that Gen Z can sees that the ‘normal’ way of thinking will not sustain our country,” said Tamara Nealy, a Gen Z independent journalist.

“They see through the woke agenda, and this generation will go down in history as one of America’s most courageous generations yet,” Nealy stated.