The Catholic Church, once the moral compass and cultural pillar of the West, is now facing one of its gravest challenges in centuries, her decline. In a new survey published by Pew Research Center on June 16, 2025, a startling pattern emerges about the state of Catholicism in the United States. Although nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) claim some personal or family connection to the Catholic faith, only 20% of them are actual practicing Catholics. The remaining 27% consist of former Catholics, cultural Catholics, or people connected to Catholic relatives. This raises serious questions about the future of Catholicism in the country.

Of the 20% who identify as practicing Catholics, only half report praying every day, 28% regularly attend Sunday Mass, and just 23% go to Confession at least once a year. These numbers show a Church that, while still present, has become spiritually stagnant for many of its members. Even among the faithful who still attend Sunday Mass weekly, a majority (62%) now prefer to receive Communion in the hand, with only 21% opting for the more traditional practice of receiving on the tongue. This is a shift that perhaps reflects not just a change in discipline, but a change in belief and reverence.

The most painful statistic is that 43% of all U.S. adults who were raised Catholic no longer identify as such today. While 1.5% of Americans have converted to Catholicism, it is a small gain compared to the massive loss through apostasy. This suggests that the Church is losing more members than she is gaining, and its influence is shrinking even among those who were once in her fold.

In terms of worship preference, only 13% of Catholics have attended a Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at least once in the past five years. Among them, a committed 2% attend TLM every week. Though these numbers are small, they represent a core of Catholics who are often more devout, more generous in vocation, and more open to having large families compared to the average Catholic. These are not insignificant details. They hint at where revival might begin if Church leaders are just willing to listen.

When we expand our view to the global landscape, the picture becomes even more troubling. According to another Pew study published on June 9, 2025, Christianity, including Catholicism, grew by 121.6 million people between 2010 and 2020. In contrast, Islam grew by 346.8 million, the religiously unaffiliated by 270.1 million, and Hinduism by 126.3 million. The main drivers for the growth in Islam and Hinduism are high birth rates. Meanwhile, the growth of the “nones” is a direct result of people, mostly Christians, leaving religion entirely.

If Catholicism wants to survive and thrive in the coming centuries, its leaders must act decisively and wisely. A key strategy would be to encourage larger families and refresh the spiritual lives of the faithful through solid catechesis. But all of this should start with worship. The Holy Eucharist, being the source and summit of the Christian life, must be treated with utmost reverence. Many Catholics today feel disconnected because the Novus Ordo Mass is often celebrated in a casual or even irreverent manner. Reforming the way the Mass is celebrated, either by making the Novus Ordo more reverent or by allowing greater access to the Traditional Latin Mass, could rekindle a Sense of the Sacred and attract back those who are spiritually starved.

These studies mentioned above and also our own parish experiences confirm that Catholics who attend the TLM or belong to more traditional communities are more likely to embrace the fullness of Catholic teaching, live morally upright lives, and raise more children in the faith. On the other hand, cultural Catholics, those who merely identify as Catholic but live no differently from secular society, rarely pass on the faith to the next generation mainly because of comforts life can offer.

The writing is on the wall. If current trends continue, Christianity risks losing its standing as the largest religion in the world. With fewer priests, Sacraments will become less accessible, which threatens the very salvation of souls. Without renewal, Catholicism may one day become just another chapter in the history books, a relic of a once-great civilization.

But God is faithful. We pray that He raises up new prophets, rooted in Sacred Tradition, to lead His people back to the fullness of the faith. May He grant us the courage to preserve what has been handed down, and the wisdom to see that true reform begins not with compromise, but with fidelity. In God’s holy will, may the Catholic Church rise again.

Support Epistles Online!

If you find value in this apostolate and are in a state of grace, please consider offering a small contribution to help keep it running and freely accessible to all. Thank you for your support—and may we remain steadfast in guarding the Deposit of Faith in all circumstances.

$5.00

One of my favourite films is the 12 Angry Men. There is a 1957 classic and the 1997 adaptation. It tells a story with the message that is just as strong and relevant in today’s world. I’ve always been drawn to nonviolent films where characters simply talk, reason, argue, and reveal who they are through their words. This film is exactly that. There’s no action, no explosions, no music score trying to control your emotions, just twelve men in a jury room deciding whether an 18-year-old boy is guilty of murdering his father.

The boy is everything society often discards: poor, uneducated, from a violent slum, an orphan, and with a juvenile criminal record. People like him are usually labeled a “lost cause.” His father, the victim, was a drunkard, abusive, and careless, the kind of father who probably destroyed everything good in his son. The movie begins with all twelve jurors assuming the boy is guilty. It seems obvious to them. All except one man, Juror #8, who simply says, “I don’t know… I think we should talk about it.”

What follows is a slow, thoughtful unraveling of prejudice, ego, indifference, and faulty reasoning. One by one, the jurors begin to see cracks in the so-called evidence. Some realize they were just eager to go home to catch a baseball game or get out of the heat. Others were judging the boy because of his race, background, or their own personal bitterness. The life of a young man, possibly innocent, was just an inconvenience to them.

As a Catholic and someone who is pro-life, this movie moved me deeply. We talk a lot about being pro-life in the context of abortion or euthanasia, but 12 Angry Men reminds us that valuing life includes the lives of the accused, the forgotten, the poor, the “unimportant.” The film shows how easy it is for people to treat a man’s life as disposable, especially when he doesn’t fit their idea of someone worth saving.

What I love about the film is its call for reason, compassion, and humility. Juror #8 wasn’t sure of the boy’s innocence. He just wasn’t sure of his guilt. That alone was enough for him to fight for the boy’s right to a fair discussion. That’s what “reasonable doubt” is all about. In today’s world, when people are judged and condemned in an instant, whether in courtrooms or social media, this movie reminds us of our moral duty to pause, to think, and to see the human person behind the accusations.

The Catholic Church teaches us to be defenders of life and justice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception” (CCC 2270), and that includes life in all stages and conditions. Scripture also tells us, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Every person, no matter how poor or broken, bears the image of God.

We are God’s co-creators and co-workers in the world. That means standing up for the dignity of every human life. Whether in a courtroom, a voting booth, or a dinner table conversation, we are called to use reason, faith, and love to protect life. 12 Angry Men quietly but powerfully reminds us of that sacred duty.

Support Epistles Online!

If you find value in this apostolate and are in a state of grace, please consider offering a small contribution to help keep it running and freely accessible to all. Thank you for your support—and may we remain steadfast in guarding the Deposit of Faith in all circumstances.

$5.00

One of the most beautiful and mysterious teachings of the Catholic Church is the Holy Eucharist. Sadly, it is also one of the most misunderstood—by non-Catholics and even some Catholics themselves. Many think that each time the Eucharist is celebrated, Jesus is being sacrificed all over again. This is a common misconception.

But Scripture is clear: Hebrews 9:24–28 teaches us that Christ does not offer Himself repeatedly, as the Jewish high priests did year after year with animal sacrifices. Instead, Jesus entered once and for all into the heavenly sanctuary. He offered Himself once to take away sin—His one sacrifice is eternally effective, and it is this one sacrifice that is made present, not repeated, in every valid celebration of the Eucharist.

Here are 16 verses in the Bible that speak directly about the Holy Eucharist and will awaken a longing in your heart for this precious Sacrament:

John 6:27
“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.”

John 6:33,42
“For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”

John 6:35,48,51
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 6:49-50
“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.”

John 6:51,58
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

John 6:53-54
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:55-57
“My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.”

John 6:34
“Lord, give us this bread always.”

1 Corinthians 11:26
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Revelation 7:13-14
Those clothed in white robes are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Acts 2:42
And they held steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.

Acts 2:46-47
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:17
“Take, eat; this is my body.”

1 Corinthians 11:23
“Do this in remembrance of me.”

Acts 20:7
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and he prolonged his speech until midnight.”

These verses are not just symbolic expressions—they are direct references to the Most Holy Eucharist. They are also quoted and explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, especially in Article 3: The Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Without the Holy Eucharist, the soul is at risk. Christ Himself instituted this Sacrament so that we could receive His true Body and Blood. And this can only happen through a valid celebration in the Catholic Church. This is why the Church teaches that salvation is found in her, because she alone guards and offers the Sacraments Christ entrusted to His apostles.

Let us be careful when someone tells us that our sins are forgiven without a priest, or that we’ve received the true Body and Blood of Christ outside the Holy Eucharist in the Catholic Church. These are dangerous shortcuts that lead us away from the truth. The Catholic Faith may not be the easiest path, but it is the surest path to salvation. The valid sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession are only possible because of the valid sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church, which Christ Himself instituted.

If we truly desire eternal life, we must long for the Bread that comes down from heaven. We must seek the Eucharist. Not just once a year. Not just occasionally. But as often as we can.

Blessed Feast of Corpus Christi!

Support Epistles Online!

If you find value in this apostolate and are in a state of grace, please consider offering a small contribution to help keep it running and freely accessible to all. Thank you for your support—and may we remain steadfast in guarding the Deposit of Faith in all circumstances.

$5.00

When Traditionis Custodes was promulgated by Pope Francis in July 2021, it devastated many traditional Catholics who, through no fault of their own, found in the Traditional Latin Mass a source of authentic nourishment, reverence, and communion with the saints. This document was, and remains, harsh. The restrictions it imposed hurt millions of Catholics who only ever wanted to worship God in the same way countless saints and popes had done for over eighteen centuries.

Pope Francis bears responsibility. No pope should discriminate against faithful Catholics who are drawn to an approved form of the Mass sanctified by time and cherished by the Church for generations. That is true and undeniable. But let us be honest. It was not Pope Francis who walked into parishes and shut down Latin Masses. It was not Cardinal Roche who issued circulars removing permissions and scattering communities.

It was the bishops.

Immediately after the motu proprio’s release, bishops across the world took it as a signal. The actions they took were not rooted in pastoral sensitivity but in fear, compliance, or sometimes outright disdain. Parishes where the Latin Mass had existed peacefully for years were told to stop. Priests who had only ever built devout communities were informed they could no longer offer the Old Rite without permission from Rome. Traditional Latin Mass communities were either relocated to obscure chapels or told to disperse entirely. The result was a fresh and deep wound to the Body of Christ.

Yet Traditionis Custodes included a clear provision. Bishops could ask for exceptions. They could appeal for permission. And many of these requests were, in fact, approved by Cardinal Roche. Some bishops did their part. They wrote to Rome. They explained that souls were at stake. They did their duty as true shepherds. But these bishops were few.

The majority imposed the motu proprio’s restrictions without resistance. It became clear that most of them had no real appreciation for the Traditional Latin Mass. Many had never celebrated it. Others viewed it as outdated or divisive. And still others simply feared losing favor in Rome. In the name of obedience, they failed to defend what was holy.

But here is the truth. Bishops had the power to protect the Traditional Latin Mass. They still do. Cardinal Roche, despite his modernist tendencies, has not rejected all requests. Those bishops who sincerely cared about the good of souls and made thoughtful petitions were often granted permission. Which means this: bishops who wanted to preserve the Old Rite, did. Bishops who did not care, let it die.

Over the years, dioceses have quietly announced that permissions had expired, or that the Latin Mass communities would be discontinued. One by one, communities disappeared. Online directories and social media pages had to update listings with notes like “Mass discontinued” or “location closed.” These were not errors. These were signs of abandonment and betrayal by their own bishops.

It is heartbreaking to witness, especially when we know that bishops could have chosen otherwise. Holy bishops would have done everything possible to defend reverent worship. Saint John Vianney, Saint Padre Pio, Saint John Paul II—these men would have taken action. They would have written letters, made appeals, and protected their people. They would not have remained silent as the Traditional Latin Mass was exiled.

But too many bishops today act more like princes than pastors. They are afraid of losing position, status, or approval from the higher authority. They are chained by the fear of being out of step. A Filipino song once said, “Pinosas ang kamay ng bata upang ito’y maging isang sunodsunuran.” The child’s hands were chained to make him blindly obedient. It is an image that sadly reflects the state of many bishops today. Men who will one day give an account to Jesus Christ in their final judgment, when no title or excuse will shield them from the truth.

Yet even now, all is not lost. One letter from a faithful bishop can restore the Traditional Latin Mass in his diocese. One courageous shepherd, moved by love for souls and reverence for sacred worship, can make all the difference. Pope Leo XIV need not abrogate Traditionis Custodes immediately—though it would be a great mercy if he did. What bishops must do is simple: choose what is right. And if even one begins to see the light, others may follow.

We cannot be silent. We must keep speaking, keep witnessing, and keep praying. We must do so not for nostalgia or sentiment, but for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

The Mass of the Ages, through which God has been reverently worshiped for centuries, is worthy of defenders. May we be counted among them.

Support Epistles Online!

If you find value in this apostolate and are in a state of grace, please consider offering a small contribution to help keep it running and freely accessible to all. Thank you for your support—and may we remain steadfast in guarding the Deposit of Faith in all circumstances.

$5.00