Knights of Malta Reach Space (sort of)
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Many synodalities across the world have called for less traditional elements and changes to Church teachings.
They have used the excuse that the youth prefer these style of changes to the Church to make it more modern.
However, at a recent "Young Adults Synodality" for the Diocese of Orange held at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) campus, results showed a different perspective.
This Los Angeles Ecclesiastical Province diocese saw its young adults call for more times for Eucharistic Adoration and Confession, better outreach and hospitality to create more of a sense of belonging, and for more formation for Church leaders to increase evangelization.
In a county where around 42% of the population is Catholic, these calls show a promising sign.
But, the Diocese of Orange has been seeing a set-back in Catholic numbers in recent years.
2019 was the high mark since the US takeover 176-178 years ago when Disneyland's diocese had over 1.5 million Catholics and 49.2% of the county.
But, post-COVID numbers has seen a decrease in total number of Catholics and percentage.
In addition, there has been a political surge to the the left across each of its major demographic groups, creating warning signs in the traditionally conservative county that it was now becoming a progressive bastion.
These numbers did not necessarily mean less Catholics, but many expected the Diocese to go through changes against traditional teachings corresponding to these political changes.
In addition, Protestants via evangelical non-denominational megachurches have been very good at converting each of the main demographic groups in former President Richard Nixon's home county.
Thus, the results of the synodality were very encouraging and shows that America's sixth most populous county may very well see stronger Catholicism, despite the trends suggesting the opposite.
After all, how could the Diocese of Orange not be strong protectors of the Faith with their Angels playing less than 10 minutes from Christ Cathedral?
Therefore, let us continue to pray for our Church leaders to bring the Faith to more people, especially those in the Diocese of Orange where the Church continues to show growth potential. In the future, these changes may very well make the county of Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano a majority Catholic.
Cole Kinder is a recent graduate of UCLA in political science with a focus on international relations. He has written one book, Foreign Policy in 4 Hours, Afghanistan 2021, and has written many articles on various websites such as Crisis Magazine. Cole Kinder specializes in international relations, domestic politics, religious studies (Catholicism), Slavic studies, sports, as well as geography.
