By Robert Dean
Carter County Times
With Pope Francis dying on the Monday after Easter at 88 years old, we’re about to see one of the last ritualistic experiences in the modern world: the Conclave, where religious hierarchy convenes in Vatican City to discuss what the leader of the world’s largest religion should champion as the face of Catholicism. And their work is cut out for them. The world is evolving at hyperspeed—technology rewires human connection, and optimizes daily life, yet somehow leaves spiritual cavities no algorithm can fill. The coming Conclave isn’t just a ritual, it’s a social referendum on whether practicing Catholics can hold their fraying coalition together in an era of existential doubt. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
While America isn’t exactly sprinting back to the Church, the decades-long decline in religious affiliation has begun to slow. According to a recent Pew study cited by the New York Times, 62% of U.S. adults now identify as Christian, down from 78% in 2007 but largely stable since 2019. Meanwhile, the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has climbed to 29%, with younger generations leading the shift. What we’re seeing isn’t a revival but a recalibration: people aren’t necessarily becoming more devout—they’re no longer fleeing organized religion at the rate they once were.
These stats paint a nuanced picture: Faith plays a central role in daily life here in America—especially in places like rural Kentucky. Churches aren’t buildings; they’re where people go when life gets hard, where communities gather when the world doesn’t make sense. But even in the Bible Belt, you can feel it: younger generations are asking pointed questions. It’s not that they’re rejecting belief; it’s that they’re searching for purpose in a world where religious and political institutions have often failed to deliver.
What does a new leader do in a complex world? The lines of compromise are fraught with disagreement, and millions of people are fighting their own battles while all trying to bond under the same flag of what the Catholic Church offers as succor. Pope Francis was a controversial figure for his progressive and not-so-progressive values.
That’s the issue with the Ministry in modern times: people look for a salve in a complex world, but interpretation of the words of the Bible is a navigation of consideration and now someone new must mandate what the Church believes, which asks bigger questions regarding the stance of old school values while embracing how people view established religion. Nothing is as easy as showing up and hoping for the best any longer, hope feels like grains of sand in a closed fist these days for many working people.
While yes, people still believe – that’s not the big question – they’re also embracing change in a world that isn’t what it was two years ago. We all love puppies and ice cream, but when someone is considered a voice worth listening to, they’ve gotta be plugged into how two wars, rampant wage stagnation, and social ills all play into what goes on the plate of who some consider a world leader.
Francis’ openings toward divorce and remarriage, his environmental encyclical Laudato Si, and his attempts to reform Vatican finances reveal how even modest changes triggered both hope and resistance. The next pope will navigate hot-button issues like the Church’s stance on LGBTQ+ inclusion, women’s roles, and responding to the ongoing abuse crisis—all while addressing declining vocations and attendance. These issues ask bigger questions: Does a new Pope go backward and double down on the fire and brimstone of yesteryear, or do they push the narrative forward of what progressive religion can be? The bishops will discuss this at the Conclave.
The Conclave won’t just choose a Pope; it’s choosing direction. And that decision will ripple far beyond Vatican walls. In a world fraying at the edges, where tradition wrestles with transparency and faith competes with fatigue, the next Pope has a choice: preach to the past or shepherd something new. The Conclave is an ancient practice, but what does that represent in a fast-changing world? The question isn’t whether people still believe; it’s whether the Church can still lead; museum or movement. Godspeed to the next Pope; it won’t be easy.
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