This morning, at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce (Aula Álvaro del Portillo), the results of the youth listening survey Footprints: Young people’s values, hopes and expectations were presented. The research, conducted between January and February 2026, involved a sample of over 9,000 young people (aged 18–29) across 9 countries (Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, the United Kingdom, … Read More
Presentation of the Research Results on Youth, Work, and Social Engagement, on May 13
The relationship between faith, work, and civic engagement among younger generations will be at the center of the event scheduled for May 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the Aula Álvaro del Portillo of Santa Croce. Follow the event via livestream using this link During the meeting, the results of the second phase of the international research project “Footprints. Young People: Expectations, Ideals, Beliefs,” carried … Read More
The Easter Baptism Wave: What the Headlines Don’t Tell You
April 2026 · Drawing on the Holy Cross Global Youth Survey (n = 4,889, 8 countries) and over 150 media sources tracked since December 2023. Something remarkable happened last Holy Saturday. Across hundreds of churches from Los Angeles to Paris, from London to Hong Kong, adults and teenagers stepped into baptismal fonts in numbers not seen in decades. The New York Times ran a front-page … Read More
Young People, Bibles and a New Search for Meaning in the UK
Recent data from the UK show a striking rise in Bible sales, and one of the most interesting aspects is that much of this growth is driven by younger generations. Publishers and booksellers point out that, behind the numbers, there is a renewed desire among young people to explore questions of meaning, spirituality and moral orientation, often outside traditional religious … Read More
Facing Polarization in Today’s Cultural and Spiritual Landscape
As a Footprints research group, we are always attentive to reflections that help us understand how polarisation and conflict shape today’s cultural and spiritual landscape. The recent article “Enfrentados”, by Ignacio González Sexma and published in La Civiltà Cattolica, offers a sharp and nuanced reading of the logics that pit individuals and communities against each other, and of the subtle … Read More
Filipino Youth, Faith, and Nation-Building in a Mobile World: Insights from the Footprints Study
With contributions from Footprints partner Robert Cortes Recent commentary in Reflective Diplomat highlights key findings from our 2025 Footprints study, Footprints of the Faith among Filipino Youth: Five Hundred Years and Moving Forward by Robert Z. Cortes and Veronica E. Ramirez [link: ]. The article, titled “Filipino Youth, Faith, and the Work of Nation-Building in a Mobile World,” offers an … Read More
Is There a Religious Awakening among Western Youth? Fashion, Spirituality, or a Deeper Shift?
In recent months, public debate in many Western countries has increasingly focused on a question that, until recently, would have seemed counter‑intuitive: is there a religious and faith-based awakening among young people? The answers offered vary widely from country to country, and even more so depending on the ideological or religious standpoint of those observing the phenomenon. For some commentators, … Read More