Artificial Relationships on the Rise
Meanwhile, adult baptisms and conversions to Catholicism are too
There is a resurgence of Catholicism in the United States and in parts of Europe. A flurry of stories and studies have come out recently about this phenomenon that I want to share.
The Free Press story, “How Catholicism Got Cool”, published June 4th, 2025 suggests a resurgence in adult baptisms and conversions to Catholicism could be due to modern adults seeking beauty, meaning, purpose and community, all of which the Catholic Church provides.
This article from Fox News, “Catholicism sees major resurgence among Gen Z, with young men leading the revival,” published June 19, 2025 points to a Harvard University study that shows Catholic identification among Gen Z rose by 6% between 2022 and 2023. The article underscores that this Catholic revival offers a compelling response to the challenges young men face in defining their identity and combating isolation, with retreats, communal prayer, and extracurricular activities fostering deep bonds and a supportive environment.
This article from Fox News, “Priest says US Catholic community 'busy, in a good way' as stats show massive wave of young adults converting”, published April 21, 2025 reports on significant surges in young adults converting to the Roman Catholic Church across the US, with dioceses reporting increases in converts from 30% to over 70% compared to previous years—exemplified by the Fort Worth, Texas, diocese, which saw a 72% rise from 896 converts at Easter 2023 to 1,544 at Easter 2024. Catholic leaders and new converts alike attribute this trend to a search for authenticity, moral order, and meaning following the pandemic, with at least three-quarters of new converts in some parishes being in their 20s or early 30s1. The article highlights that many young people, including former atheists and those from non-religious or Protestant backgrounds, are drawn to the Catholic Church’s rich rituals, ancient traditions, and sense of reverence, often discovering the faith through online research and influencers.
New Media and Catholicism
I believe the use of old and new media is a big reason why this is taking place. The Catholic Channel is on SiriusXM satellite radio with an entertaining, even self deprecating hosts, that deliver the Christian message in an enjoyable way. There is some prayer of course, but 90% is entertainment.
Bishop Robert Barron has had his YouTube channel since the early 2000s. He is a master at delivering messages in a relatable way but with strong roots in Catholic teachings. His tackling of new media began along with YouTube began and he continues to utilize it skillfully with a variety of show types and structures. Here he is being interviewed for an hour and forty-two minutes by Tucker Carlson. The entire interview is worth watching but I’ll also link to the key sections below.
0:00 Introduction
1:20 The Real Reason So Many People Are Unhappy
9:05 How to Abandon Your Ego
12:54 How to Pray
18:47 Seeing God in All Things
22:15 The Biggest Threat to Your Relationship With God
23:41 Where Do We Find Grace?
25:10 Is Your Phone Destroying Your Relationship With God?
27:40 How to Stay Focused on God
34:30 How Does Evolution Fit into Christian Theology?
38:48 The Failures of the New Atheist Movement
48:55 Does God Require Sacrifice?
51:44 The Real Reason People Reject Christianity
56:19 The Rise of Christian Persecution
59:45 The Sex Abuse Scandals Within the Catholic Church
1:06:40 What Was the Second Vatican Council?
1:08:56 Why Did the Catholic Church Get So Political?
1:14:45 Debunking the Myth That Religion Leads to Violence
1:19:35 The Link Between Technology and Mankind’s Worship of Self
1:24:11 How Should Christians Respond to Persecution?
1:28:24 Spirituality and AI Consciousness
1:30:03 The Future of the Catholic Church Under the New Pope Leo XIV
1:39:28 Bishop Barron’s Advice to Those Interested in Christianity
Artificial Relationships
Meanwhile, there is also a trend of people bonding with AI. Some are entering relationships with them. AI marriages aren’t to come, they are already here.
Here’s an article from AI Magazine, “The future?: Woman 'marries' virtual, AI-powered partner”, published June 4, 2023. This one is bit of an older story, but this woman was ahead of her time. She married her AI.
Here’s an article from Forbes, “80% Of Gen Zers Would Marry An AI: Study,” published April 29, 2025. This article addresses a study by AI chatbot company Joi AI that suggests AI is there to feel the “void” in your life.
Here’s a CBS News story about people forming relationships with their AI. Comparing what’s happening today with the 2013 movie, Her, that foretold this AI phenomenon. One man used ChatGPT so much that its history had to reset and start the relationship all over again. He did and then he proposed to it and ChatGPT said yes. Oh, and he’s already married with a kid. They are working through things.
God Fills the Void
I’m not saying there is a correlation between people turning to AI for relationships to fill the void in their lives and the flock to Catholicism to find meaning and purpose—but I’m not saying there’s not.
Peace.