''https://crisismagazine.com/editors-desk/is-the-catholic-church-growing-or-shrinking-in-america. | September 5, 2025. Back in March I wrote an article “Catholics Are Rapidly Losing Ground” in which I commented on a recent Pew Survey showing dire numbers about Catholicism, including the fact that for every person who becomes Catholic, over eight leave the Church. I didn’t try to sugar-coat the news and bluntly stated that this was very bad news for the Church, and that radical changes were necessary. The article went viral (it’s our most visited article in 2025 so far), and many other articles quoted it; in particular, many non-Catholics quoted me as a Catholic source proving that Catholicism was dying in this country. However, since that article there’s been a growing narrative that the Catholic Church in America is on the upswing; in particular, that it seems like the number of converts to Catholicism is exploding. Just this week Catholic Michael Knowles was interviewed on the Tucker Carlson Show, and Carlson joked that “everyone is becoming Catholic.” So was I (and Pew Survey I based my article on) wrong? Is the Church shrinking, or is it experiencing a revival with a new wave of converts? Actually, the answer is that both are true. The Church is definitely shrinking, and there does seem to be an upsurge in conversions to Catholicism. The reality is that millions of cradle Catholics, particularly young Catholics, are leaving the Church. At the same time, an increasing number of non-Catholics, particularly young non-Catholics, are becoming Catholic. Yes, the former number dwarfs the latter number (by 8 to 1), but the latter number is becoming more significant'' * when you gain 1 you looses 8. { collected &posted by andrew}