Subject: Mike Madrid
https://substack.com/home/post...

No doubt political opportunists will seek opportunities to pander.

Wonder which side of the schism will prevail.... charitable catholicism or the AR15Catholics.

snip....Young adults in their twenties and thirties are becoming Catholic at incredible rates, with dioceses reporting dramatic increases in adult conversions, some experiencing year-over-year growth of 50% to 70%. At least three-quarters of new converts are in their 20s or early 30s, representing a remarkable demographic shift that has accelerated since the pandemic. Significantly, many of these new believers cite discovering the Church through the internet, particularly through YouTube content creators and social media platforms that explain Catholic theology in accessible ways.
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This phenomenon reflects broader changes in Catholic demographics. The global Catholic population has grown to 1.406 billion in 2023, with a 1.15% increase from the previous year, while America has gained 2.9 million Catholics since 2010 despite losing 1,200 churches. These statistics suggest that while institutional structures may be consolidating, the faith itself is expanding, particularly among younger generations who are finding new pathways to belief.

This digital transformation didn't emerge in a vacuum. Pope Francis, who passed away in April 2025, spent his pontificate deliberately reaching out to young people in unprecedented ways. Through his post-synodal apostolic exhortation "Christus Vivit" (Christ Lives), Francis challenged the Church to see young people not merely as the "future of the Church" but as the "living hope of a missionary church" in the present. His approach recognized that 60% of Catholics under 18 in the United States are Hispanic, reflecting the Church's increasingly diverse and youthful demographic.....