Faith is a hit among Gen Z: The Catholic Church may have influencers to thank

CNN CNN Paris —

The Catholic Church is no stranger to resurrection.

After decades of declining attendance and dwindling faith in much of the Western world, Roman Catholicism could be witnessing an unexpected revival.

And for a church today more known by many in the West for its elderly churchgoers, ageing priests and devastating sexual abuse scandals, the renewal is coming from the unlikeliest of corners: Gen Z.

For these young people, whose life online is often impossible to parse from their “IRL” (In Real Life) existence, this move towards faith is at least partly due to the growing ecosystem of Catholic personalities on social media: clergy and layfolk alike, preaching, teaching, meme-ing and streaming – influencing teens and young adults.

It’s opened up new audiences and v