The Decline of the Catholic Church is Reversible

Ever since its creation in 1054 CE, the Roman Catholic Church has remained arguably the most influential religion in the world. With an estimated count of 1.3 billion followers worldwide, Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity, leading others by a billion. Even though the origin of Christianity itself is much earlier than the origin of Catholicism, the Roman Catholic Church officially formed when the Great Schism split Christianity into two main branches: the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The split occurred as a result of centuries of disagreements, including debate over the role of the pope. The Roman Catholic Church believed that the pope should be the supreme leader of all Christians, while the Eastern Orthodox Church believed that the pope, while being a significant figure, should not be the sole leader. Despite large disagreements, both branches hold the same major beliefs. They share many of the core doctrines, including belief in the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the role of the Sacraments. 

Since the split, the Roman Catholic Church has gained power and influence across Europe and all corners of the world. As the religion traveled with trade, missionaries and colonialism to other continents, the church’s follower count grew, eventually forming new hotspots for Catholicism in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Accordingly, the pope became increasingly dominant under the name of papal authority and was able to appoint Bishops, launch religious wars such as the Crusades, and even crown Kings. 

The pope’s role is still significant—upon election, he is the absolute monarch of the Vatican City State and oversees all ecclesiastical matters, including global affairs, interpretation of doctrine, and regulation of liturgy. However, the same consistency in power is not illustrated in the Church’s overall influence. The average church attendance in the U.S. has dropped from 50 percent in the early 1970s to just 25 percent in 2023. Less than 30 percent of Catholics attend mass every week, and the number of priests has decreased to nearly half of what it was in 1965. With each new generation, the Church has seen a decline in people who identify as Christian. From the Silent Generation (1928-1945), 84 percent of Americans identify as Christian, but among Millenials, only 49 percent of Americans (1981-1996) identify as Christian. 

Evidently, the younger generations are less inclined to follow Christianity. This begs the question: if the Church was able to withstand plenty of major historical events that changed the trajectory of society, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Black Death, and the World Wars, then why would it fall now? Surely, the Church has demonstrated consistency in its administration—doctrines and policies are largely unchanged—which partially explains how it was able to grow to such a large follower count. But today, that very tradition is a double edged sword: its consistency is synonymous with a failure to modernize and keep up with societal changes. With each new generation, an increasing number of people drift away from Christianity, largely due to a growing disconnect between their beliefs and the Church’s teachings. 

If the Church doesn’t make serious reforms, it will not be long before it becomes a thing of the past. Its doctrinal rigidity requires change; even its own members deem its methods and traditions outdated. For instance, the Church still opposes same-sex marriage and the use of contraceptives; it also heavily emphasizes the celibacy of nuns and priests. However, many of today’s Catholics don’t agree with these traditional beliefs. Nearly three quarters of Catholics believe that the Church should support homosexuality, and 59 percent call for abortion to be legal. Additionally, the Church has faced numerous sexual abuse scandals. As of 2019, over 5,100 clergy members have been identified as sexual abusers, but no proper action has been taken by the Church in response. The public largely believes that forced celibacy is the cause of these issues and that they would’ve been otherwise avoidable, but instead created victims. 

These problems have been noticed by Church representatives. Most notably, Pope Francis acknowledged and criticized the issues within the Catholic Church. Just six months into his papacy in 2013, he claimed that the Church has grown “obsessed” with many controversial issues such as same-sex marriage, the use of contraceptives, and abortion. He later clarified in a 2023 interview that criminalizing homosexuality is wrong and urged Church members to show “tenderness” as God does towards all his subjects. Pope Francis had also taken steps towards addressing climate change and emphasizing commitment to the poor and marginalized. However, Pope Francis and his papacy’s efforts alone are not enough to reverse the downward trends the Church faces today. After all, the centuries of unchanged tradition hold deep roots within Catholicism itself, and attempts to divert from them could face major resistance. During his papacy, Pope Francis faced opposition from both inside the Vatican and from members of the Church across the world—they disagreed with his attempts to change the Catholic Church and its longstanding ways. 

The public is also worried because Pope Francis’s efforts to modernize the Church might crumble under the next Pope. In that case, the Catholic Church returns to square one; will likely experience further declines in follower commitment; and face even more controversy regarding global issues such as women’s rights and self-identity. So, the next question becomes, ”What can the Church do now?” The Church’s decline is definitely reversible, as long as the Church addresses issues before it’s too late to turn back. Whether it be holding another Ecumenical Council like Vatican II in the 1960s; electing more progressive and diverse leaders; or holding a large and publicized Synod regarding these matters, the Church has possibilities. The main necessity in order for these reforms to come to fruition is ultimately the Catholic Church’s willingness to change. 

With that said, if the Church and future popes don’t majorly attempt to carry on Pope Francis’s legacy of changing the Church for the better, the Church’s influence might diminish even further. It is necessary for them to make vital changes in their ways of operation before they are viewed as a religious organization shrouded in scandals and outdated views. If the public’s calls are not answered, it won’t be long before the once mighty Roman Catholic Church is remembered as a thing of the past.