Brazilian Catholic Youth Seek Deeper Faith Formation, Survey Finds

The findings come from the National Survey on the Evangelization of Youth, conducted in 2025 by the Episcopal Commission for Youth of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB). Partial results were recently presented during a meeting of the CNBB Permanent Council.

The study was carried out in partnership with the Youth Observatory of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), the UNESCO Chair of Youth, Education and Society at the Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), and the Department of Theology at PUC-Rio.

Researchers gathered responses from adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 29 across all regions of Brazil. The survey employed a voluntary, non-probabilistic methodology using a predominantly quantitative digital questionnaire distributed through the communications network of Jóvenes Conectados (Connected Youth).

Thirst for Holiness and Meaning

Among the most significant findings was the prominence of holiness and Christian faith as the topics of greatest interest to participants. Respondents consistently expressed a desire for stronger spiritual formation and a deeper understanding of their faith.

Patrícia Espíndola de Lima Teixeira, a psychopedagogue at the Youth Observatory of PUCRS and coordinator of the research, said the results reflect broader patterns she has observed while working with young people.

According to Teixeira, today’s youth have grown up immersed in a constant stream of superficial content, creating a hunger for more substantial experiences and relationships. She suggested that this context helps explain the strong interest in faith, meaning, and deeper spiritual engagement identified in the survey.

Rather than surprising researchers, the findings appear to confirm a growing desire among young Catholics for clearer pathways to spiritual growth and authentic religious experience.

Beyond Political Labels

Teixeira cautioned against interpreting the survey through the lens of ideological divisions within the Church.

She emphasized that the research was conducted without preconceived assumptions and instead revealed what she described as a pastoral tension requiring careful reflection and balanced analysis. In her view, the results should not be reduced to a conflict between conservative and progressive perspectives.

Instead, she argued that the current ecclesial moment calls for greater unity amid diversity. Drawing on St. Paul’s image of the Church as one body with many members, Teixeira stressed the importance of recognizing a plurality of gifts, sensitivities, and experiences while maintaining communion within the Church.

She said the issues raised by the survey deserve deeper discussion, not only among young people but throughout the Catholic community.

Search for Authenticity

Layla Kamila, coordinator of the Communications Team of the CNBB’s Episcopal Commission for Youth and a member of the survey team, said the results point to a profound desire for authenticity among young Catholics.

“The aim of the survey was to listen to young people and understand their experience of faith,” Kamila noted. The data, she said, reveal a strong interest in holiness, Scripture, the Eucharist, Christian formation, and reverent liturgical celebrations.

According to Kamila, the central message emerging from the research is not one of ideological alignment but of genuine spiritual longing.

Young Catholics, she said, are seeking a Church that proclaims Jesus Christ clearly, offers meaningful formation, fosters a real encounter with God, and helps believers live their faith in contemporary society.

Concerns About Politicization

The survey also found significant concern among participants regarding politicization within the Church.

Kamila urged caution in interpreting these responses, emphasizing that the data should be examined comprehensively rather than in isolation. Open-ended responses frequently reflected a desire for evangelization that remains firmly centered on Christ, spirituality, liturgy, and faith formation.

At the same time, she rejected any suggestion that such concerns indicate opposition to the Church’s social mission.

According to Kamila, commitment to justice, peace, care for the poor, and human dignity remains inseparable from the proclamation of the Gospel. The challenge, she suggested, is not choosing between spiritual and social dimensions of the Church’s mission, but ensuring that Christ remains at the center of evangelization efforts.

Listening as a Pastoral Priority

Both Teixeira and Kamila expressed hope that dioceses, parishes, movements, new communities, and pastoral organizations throughout Brazil will use the survey findings as a resource for pastoral discernment.

Kamila said the research was born from a desire to listen before proposing pastoral solutions, reflecting the Church’s broader synodal approach. Referencing Pope Francis’ frequent call of “Everyone, everyone, everyone,” she said the survey sought to include the experiences, concerns, aspirations, and dreams of all young people so that no one feels excluded from Church life.

She emphasized that the data represent more than statistical information. Behind every response, she said, stands an individual story, a family, and a unique journey of faith.

For Teixeira, the act of listening to young people does not weaken or relativize Catholic teaching. Rather, it strengthens the Church’s ability to proclaim the Gospel effectively to new generations.

Far from presenting a picture of disengagement, she argued, the survey offers a hopeful portrait of Brazilian Catholic youth. The findings suggest that many young people are eager to deepen their faith, better understand the Church, and find solid opportunities for formation.

That openness, she said, provides one of the strongest signs of hope for the future of youth evangelization in Brazil.

• Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa