There is an interesting article in The Telegraph today.
Young, single men are leaving traditional churches. They found a more ‘masculine’ alternative
New parishes are planned across US to accommodate ‘tsunami’ of male worshippers who have converted since pandemic
It is perhaps going to be behind a paywall, which is annoying. If you want it, there is a “way back” way to get it, if you know what I mean.
The word “Catholic” does not appear in the article, which is focus entirely on the Orthodox Church.
Here are some snip of the piece, which is longish but drives home the point. Here is the lead, definitely not buried.
Young, single men are flocking to the Orthodox church after discovering the “masculine” Christian religion through online influencers.
Some converts said they felt disillusioned with the “feminisation” of the Protestant church and were attracted to the “authenticity” of Orthodoxy, which they claim pushes them physically and mentally.
Priests are now planning to open new parishes to accommodate the “tsunami” of young men who have converted since the pandemic.
They say that most of the new converts found the Orthodox church by watching YouTube videos or listening to podcasts.
[…]
A 2023 survey by the Orthodox Studies Institute of Orthodox clergy in 20 parishes across 15 states found there had been a 80 per cent increase in the number of converts to the Orthodox church in 2022, compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Of these, 60 per cent were men, compared with 54 per cent in 2019.
Many of them had been drawn to the “masculine” nature of church, which puts emphasis on denial and pushing yourself physically.
Worshippers must stand for long services, which can last upwards of five hours. They must fast, too, sometimes for up to 40 days.
This, some felt, was in stark contrast to other religious denominations where they felt the church had been “feminised”.
[…]
Mr Castillo is open about his faith with his thousands of online followers and receives scores of messages from young men interested in the Orthodox church.
He believes part of the surge in men converting to the Orthodox church is a rejection of the “feminisation” of other denominations.
“It’s unfortunate that feminism has kind of sunk its teeth into all of our organisations to include Christianity,” he said.
He said that at Protestant churches, the majority of the leaders “aren’t good, strong men”, whereas the Orthodox church leaders are more like “father figures”.
He said: “They look like men. They look like fathers, they’re strong, spiritually, mentally, physically… I think young men right now are yearning to follow a good father.”
Jesus Christ, he thinks, is the “perfect example of masculinity”, someone capable “of calling down all of Heaven’s armies to destroy his enemies” but who instead chose to serve others.
[…]
There is a little “concern” blah blah from a female prof about “misogyny”, but not much. It’s the obligatory drop in. Also, a few words about homosexuals. Nothing substantive.
Men interviewed about their conversion seem to have had some “mega-church” experience, which ultimately left them empty.
Meanwhile, one of the guys in my regular text group opined:
Of course. And bishops will not get the message. They’d rather have empty churches than have them populated by “those people”. The 1970s dream must be true, it will work, we just have to implement more modernization in the “spirit of Vatican II” even when it makes us do things the letter of Vatican II does not say or in fact rejects.
Yup. It seems as if the last thing they want is a “muscular” faith which appeals to men. Funny, that.
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