U.S.
Report: U.S. religious affiliation holds steady, but no evidence of revival
WASHINGTON — Religious affiliation in the U.S. is “holding steady,” with recent steep declines leveling off — but there’s no evidence a religious revival is underway, and Christianity continues to lose more members than it gains, according to a new report from Pew Research Center. On Dec. 8, the center released an analysis of data from its annual National Public Opinion Reference Surveys, as well as data from its 2023-2024 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, which polled close to 37,000 randomly sampled adults. In addition, Pew drew on data from the NORC General Social Survey and the American Time Use Survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While there’s been a leveling off in the past 5 years after decades of steep religious decline, Pew said, “On average, young adults remain much less religious than older Americans.” Christianity and Catholicism continue to lose more members than they gain due to religious switching — particularly Catholicism, where “far more young people have switched out than in,” Pew reported. While “12% of today’s youngest adults have switched out of Catholicism,” just “1% of adults ages 18 to 24 have switched into Catholicism, meaning that they identify as Catholic today after having been raised in another religion or no religion.” (OSV News)
SEEK 2026 to draw inspiration from St. Pier Giorgio Frassati
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The upcoming SEEK 2026 conference is inviting young Catholics and attendees of all ages to embrace its theme inspired by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati: “To the Heights.” “St. Pier Giorgio called (young people) to go into the heights,” Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, which organizes SEEK annually, said. “He wants them to realize that God is worth the climb and worth the sacrifice — so are our brothers and sisters.” Martin described the recently canonized 20th-century saint who enjoyed mountain climbing before dying at the young age of 24 as someone who lived for Christ and for others “in a powerful way.” From Jan 1-5, 2026, tens of thousands of Catholics nationwide are expected to attend SEEK. The five-day experience promises to unite people of faith to encounter Christ through prayer, adoration, the sacraments and inspiring speakers. It will take place simultaneously in three cities: Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas. (OSV News)
Abp. Broglio urges respect for rule of law after follow-up strike on alleged drug boat
WASHINGTON — The head of the U.S. military archdiocese Dec. 3 urged respect for the human person and the rule of law amid new questions about the legality of a deadly U.S. military attack on a boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2. The Trump administration has carried out multiple deadly strikes on what it alleged were suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean in what it said was an effort to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. One of those strikes has come under newfound scrutiny after an alleged order to leave no survivors and a second strike to carry it out. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services said in a statement, “In the fight against drugs, the end never justifies the means, which must be moral, in accord with the principles of the just war theory, and always respectful of the dignity of each human person. … As the moral principle forbidding the intentional killing of noncombatants is inviolable, it would be an illegal and immoral order to kill deliberately survivors on a vessel who pose no immediate lethal threat to our armed forces.” (OSV News)
WORLD
Churches, temples become emergency camps in cyclone-hit Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Churches and temples across Sri Lanka have become lifelines for thousands displaced by Cyclone Ditwah, as the island reels from what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake calls the nation’s “most challenging” disaster in history. The storm made landfall Nov. 28, unleashing days of torrential rain, landslides and widespread flooding. As of Dec. 3, officials reported 474 dead and more than 350 missing. Parishes from Ratnapura to Colombo have opened their doors. Nearby Buddhist temples are also hosting evacuees. Volunteers and clergy said families have lost almost everything. “It’s going to be a big challenge to help them begin life afresh,” said Father Denzil Priyankara, the parish priest at St. Francis Xavier Church. Caritas Colombo and local parishes are distributing food, medical care and emergency cash as communities begin the long work of recovery. (OSV News)
Don’t be passive consumers of AI content, pope says
VATICAN CITY — Human beings are meant to be actively involved in the world of creation, not just passive consumers of content generated by technology, Pope Leo XIV said. “How can we ensure that the development of artificial intelligence truly serves the common good and is not just used to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of a few?” he asked Dec. 5. The pope was speaking to people taking part in a conference held in Rome organized by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities. The conference was titled “Artificial Intelligence and Care of Our Common Home.” “The new generations must be helped, not hindered, on their path to maturity and responsibility. … The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it,” Pope Leo said. “Human beings are called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology. … Our dignity lies in our ability to reflect, choose freely, love unconditionally and enter into authentic relationships with others.” (CNS)
