Welcome back to the Word on Fire show. I'm Matthew Petrucic, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire show. Thank you for joining us.

For decades, decline and disaffiliation have been dominating the narrative about religion in general and Catholicism in particular in the United States and throughout the West.

The data has been clear. People, especially young people, have been leaving the pews

in droves and presumably never coming back. Something, however, seems to have changed. As many media

outlets, including secular media, have been reporting recently, both interest in and even conversion

to the Catholic Church, has been surging both here and in parts of Europe,

especially among young adults.

To be sure, secularism still dominates the culture, especially in the areas of business,

entertainment, and politics.

But the once common wisdom that increasingly secular society would eventually lead to the

death of Christianity and its evacuation from the public square

doesn't seem so common anymore. So what are the causes of this apparent religious revival among young people?

Why are so many turning towards the traditional liturgies and moral teachings of Catholicism in particular?

Here to discuss is Bishop Robert Barron.

Music in particular. Here to discuss is Bishop Robert Barron.

Welcome back to the studio, Bishop. Matt, thank you. Always good to be with you.

So today we're looking at why so many young people are becoming Catholic, which is a very happy topic for us to engage.

But before we do, you've recently concluded your first ever synod in your diocese.

Tell us a little bit about what that was like and what it's leading to.

Yeah, it was delightful.

It was the only second synod in the 136 year history of my diocese. We had one back in 1950, I think. And it was delightful. It was the only second synod in the 136-year history of my diocese.

We had one back in 1950, I think.

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