(LifeSiteNews) – Google searches for’ how to become a Catholic’ surged 373% during the days surrounding the death of Pope Francis.
From April 20 to 26, the days before and after the death of Pope Francis, Google searches for “how to become a Catholic” spiked by a staggering 373%, according to data collected by Google Trends.
“It’s unlike anything we’ve tracked before,” Magdalena Petrusic, senior travel analyst at Vatican Tickets & Tours, the agency that compiled the Google Trends data, told Zenit News.
“We’re used to seeing spikes in tourism or event inquiries when a major religious figure passes. But this was different,” she continued. “People weren’t planning trips — they were seeking conversion.”
The surge began on Easter Sunday when Pope Francis made his last public appearance at age 88. The trend spiked on April 21, the day of Francis’ 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,” Petrusic explained.
After Francis’ death, the whole world watched with bated breath as cardinals from around the world gathered in Rome to elect the new pontiff.
On May 8, white smoke billowed from the Vatican, telling the world that a new pope was selected. Shortly after, American Cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as the new pontiff, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
The increase in Google searches surrounding conversion to Catholicism comes at a time that conversions to the Catholic Church are at an all-time high.
This Easter, dioceses across the United Kingdom saw a surge in adult baptisms, especially among young men, with the Diocese of Westminster alone receiving 500 adults into the Catholic Church.
This phenomenon is also taking place in France, which had record-high numbers of adult baptisms take place in less than a week, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference.
At Easter, France’s Catholic Church welcomed over 10,384 adult catechumens, which is a 45 percent increase from last year. Additionally, 42 percent of adult catechumens were from the 18-25 age group.
The increasing number of catechumens comes after a recent report found that the number of Generation Z churchgoers in the U.K. has jumped from four percent in 2018 to 16 percent today, with young Catholics outnumbering Anglicans by a two-to-one margin.
Generation Z, often called Gen Z, are those born from 1997 to 2012. This generation is known for many things, including social media addictions and leading the working from home movement.
However, Gen Z is also known for its remarkable return to religion, especially Christianity and Catholicism.
The surge in Catholicism among Gen Z can also be attributed to the rise of Catholic, or at least Christian, social media influencers and celebrities.
Many celebrities, including Russell Brand and Rob Schneider, have revealed their journeys to Christianity.
Similarly, prominent podcasters Candace Owens and Tammy Peterson recently embraced the fullness of Christianity by entering the Catholic Church.
