Research reveals what young Brazilian Catholics are like and what they are looking for: formation, liturgy, and keeping their faith free from politics
A 2025 national survey of young Catholics in Brazil reveals that this generation seeks stability in faith rather than adapting the Church to contemporary cultural noise. Respondents prioritize solid formation and liturgical experience, and want their faith to remain free from political influence. The study, conducted by the Episcopal Commission for Youth of the CNBB, highlights a generational shift toward deeper spiritual roots. Findings suggest pastoral leaders may need to focus on robust catechesis and inclusive liturgy to meet youth expectations. The article underscores the importance of addressing youth concerns in a rapidly changing social landscape.
2 months ago
A recent national survey of Brazilian Catholic youth reveals that, despite strong sacramental participation, young people are seeking deeper formation, a reverent liturgy, and a faith experience that stays clear of overt politicization, while still valuing the Church’s social mission. 1 2
The 2025 National Survey on Youth Evangelization interviewed 11,498 adolescents and young adults across all Brazilian regions between April and July 2025. Most respondents were aged 18‑24 (64.8 %), followed by 25‑29 (32.5 %) and a small group of 12‑17‑year‑olds (2.7 %). A large majority (93.6 %) had received the sacraments of initiation, and 68.5 % attended Mass weekly. 1
Participants ranked holiness, the Christian faith, the Word of God, the Eucharist, and Catholic formation among their top interests. They expressed a clear thirst for doctrinal instruction and spiritual depth, countering the assumption that they prioritize novelty over substance. 1 2
A well‑celebrated, reverent liturgy emerged as a key expectation. Young Catholics view a beautiful liturgy as a sanctuary of silence, concentration, and transcendence—qualities they find lacking in the digital stream of brief videos and notifications. Conversely, a perceived lack of reverence in liturgical celebrations was identified as a major obstacle to participation. 1 2
While not indifferent to social issues, respondents warned that an excessive focus on sociopolitical topics can deter engagement. They advocate for a Church whose social action flows from the Gospel rather than replacing proclamation. The survey therefore highlights a tension: young people want the Church’s mission to integrate justice and peace without allowing politics to dominate the liturgical and catechetical space. 1 2
Approximately 61 % of the youth indicated that their first encounter with the Church came through parents or grandparents, underscoring the family’s pivotal role in transmitting faith across generations. 1
Religion and spirituality ranked as the most searched online topics among respondents, surpassing entertainment, education, and politics. Social networks and messaging apps were the main channels for accessing faith content, and the Church was cited as the third‑most important information source (13.5 %), slightly ahead of influencers and YouTubers. 1
The survey found that 64 % rely on spirituality to cope with daily challenges, 55.8 % feel strengthened by pastoral presence, 43.4 % maintain hope for the future, and 22.8 % report personal prayer to God, Mary, and the saints. 1
Researchers caution against interpreting the findings through a partisan lens. Instead, they call for a synodal listening approach that embraces both doctrinal depth and authentic social outreach, aiming to move beyond polarization and embody the biblical image of the Body of Christ. 1 2
The CNBB plans to distribute roughly 20,000 copies of the report to dioceses, parishes, movements, and pastoral groups to inform future evangelization strategies. The emphasis is on using the data as a pastoral tool rather than a mere statistical benchmark. 1
Overall, Brazilian Catholic youth are asking for a Church that offers authentic faith formation, reverent worship, and a Gospel‑centered social mission—an appeal that blends traditional expectations with the realities of a digitally saturated culture.*
Young Brazilian Catholic youth demand deeper catechesis, reverent liturgy, and political neutrality
Young Brazilian Catholic youth calling for deeper catechesis, more reverent liturgy, and political neutrality strongly resonates with long-standing Church teaching: catechesis must form disciples in Christ; liturgy must express the sacredness of the rite with dignity and fidelity; and the Church must not be pulled into party strife—while still urging faithful, non-ideological political responsibility grounded in moral truth.
Catholic teaching describes youth as a decisive stage where people confront the ultimate moral options of life and need the Gospel not in fragments, but as a coherent response that can shape attitudes like self-sacrifice, justice, and reconciliation.
Pope John Paul II even frames catechesis as “a permanent school of the faith,” preparing for adult Christian commitments and (often) for vocations.
The US bishops’ framework for youth ministry emphasizes that educational projects for young people must include formation in Christian doctrine and morality, with two main goals:
That matters because “deep catechesis” in Catholic terms is not merely doctrinal teaching; it is initiation into the mystery, formation for life in Christ, teaching to pray, and introduction to community life.
Pope John Paul II stresses that young people are especially sensitive to the consistency between what adults say and how they live; daily witness is described as the “seal of authentic teaching.”
So, when youth ask for “deeper catechesis,” the Church typically hears not only a call for better classes, but a call for:
Catholic liturgical discipline treats Mass as an act of religion that must be marked by a “profound sense of the sacre[d],” reverence, and awe before the God who is three times holy.
In this view, the faithful are not merely spectators of human performance; worship is the Church’s encounter with God through the sacred rite.
The US bishops explicitly ask for vigilance so that every liturgy is celebrated:
This is a direct Catholic answer to a common youth complaint: “reverence” is not sentimentality—it includes structural fidelity (texts, rubrics, and worship being what the Church intends).
The Via Pulchritudinis (Pontifical Council for Culture) argues that education should lead to fuller participation in the truth of the liturgy “in the fullness of beauty,” and that the Church must recover the rite’s “splendour” and authentic dignity.
At the same time, it warns against reducing liturgy to ambiance or efficiency: liturgy is a divine work, something to be received more than manufactured.
So “reverent liturgy” in Catholic terms means both:
Pope Leo XIII draws a sharp distinction: while politics can involve legitimate differences, it is “only worthy of partisans” to attempt to involve the Church in party strife or to use Church support against those who hold opposite views.
He adds that the Church “resolutely refuses… to link herself to any mere party,” and also holds it is not her role to decide which form of government is best.
Likewise, another teaching from Leo XIII warns against identifying religion with a political party and confounding political factions with Catholic identity.
So when youth ask for political neutrality, the Church’s clear Catholic content is: no partisan capture of the Church.
At the same time, neutrality is not meant to become indifference. The US bishops’ document on faithful citizenship states: “The Church is principled but not ideological.”
It emphasizes clarity about moral teaching and practicing charity and justice in public life, working with others in different ways to advance moral principles—while avoiding ideological reduction.
This aligns with the idea that Catholic engagement must be:
John Paul II’s addresses to Brazilian bishops underline that youth are not indifferent to what the faith teaches about human life and destiny, and that when Christ is presented authentically, young people can accept demanding truth “even when it is demanding and bears the mark of the Cross.”
That supports a key nuance for political neutrality: youth should receive formation that helps them interpret life morally and spiritually, not training that merely mobilizes them for a partisan identity.
Taken together, the youth demands can be understood as three requests for coherence:
Catholic teaching strongly supports the substance behind the youth call: deeper catechesis that forms disciples for life in Christ, reverent liturgy celebrated with fidelity and awe, and political neutrality understood as refusal of party entanglement—paired with sincere, principled moral responsibility in public life.