The Catholic faith sees unprecedented spike after Pope Francis’ final Easter
By Catholics for Catholics
Online searches for “how to become Catholic” surged by a whopping 373% between April 20 and April 26, denoting what observers call a spiritual phenomenon kindled by the final public moments—and sudden passing—of Pope Francis.
The pontiff appeared publicly for the last time on Easter Sunday, April 20, offering a weak but radiant blessing to the throngs of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Zenit.
After Francis’ death, his passing away was not only followed by mourning, but an internet frenzy that sparked with questions that went beyond the upcoming conclave, but about the Catholic faith as well.
“It’s unlike anything we’ve tracked before,” said Magdalena Petrusic, senior travel analyst at Vatican Tickets & Tours, the agency that compiled the Google Trends data. “We’re used to seeing spikes in tourism or event inquiries when a major religious figure passes. But this was different. People weren’t planning trips—they were seeking conversion.”
“There’s just something so beautiful and transcendent about the rituals and the ancient history in the Catholic Mass that’s been preserved,” Johnston, 30, told The Post. “The church really communicates a degree of reverence that I didn’t find in the more liberal, laissez-faire… pic.twitter.com/Rk7u8lN6rn
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) April 17, 2025
The timing of this rise in Internet searches is indicative, according to Zenit. Petrusic said it started almost immediately after Pope Francis showed-up on Easter Sunday and spiked spectacularly the day of his death.
“It was as though the world paused, watched, and then responded—not with apathy or distraction, but with a hunger to understand what moved this man,” she told Zenit.
According to Zenit, the data suggests a deeper trend than the death of Francis, one that has been quietly building below the surface: generational shift in religious engagement. A recent report from the Bible Society titled “The Quiet Revival” underscores a significant surge in Christian interest—particularly among Gen Z and young millennials aged 18 to 34.
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