Navigating Change: US Catholics Face a Crossroads Despite Pope Leo XIV's Influence

In 1987, nearly 50% of American Catholics said their faith was among the most important aspects of their lives. Today, that number has dropped to just 37%. Many are leaving Catholicism entirely. The General Social Survey shows that in 1973, only 10% of Catholics had switched religions and 7% had left religion altogether. By 2018, those figures had risen to 18% each. A 2024 Pew Research Center study revealed a striking imbalance: for every one person converting to Catholicism, 8.4 leave. Despite these losses, the Catholic share of the U.S. population holds steady around 20%—thanks largely to immigration. These trends highlight a growing disconnect between traditional religious institutions and modern spiritual identities in America.