Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, pillars of the universal Church and founders of the See of Rome. Saint Peter, once a humble fisherman, was chosen by Christ to be the rock upon which the Church was built and became the first Pope, a symbol of stability in the Church. Saint Paul, once a fierce persecutor of Christians, underwent a dramatic conversion and became the Apostle to the Gentiles. He dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles alike, breaking down divisions and striving to unite all believers in Christ. Though vastly different in background and temperament, both were martyred in Rome and are venerated together as faithful disciples of the Lord.
As we look around at the troubled state of the world today, with its wars, divisions, conflicts, and all forms of instability and disunity, as well as the erosion of truth and faith, one is left to wonder whether the great apostles Peter and Paul labored in vain. Has the Lord forgotten the promise spoken on the heights of Caesarea, that upon this rock He would build the Church, a rock so stable no power could overcome, not even that of hell itself?
And yet, even in the midst of all this turmoil, signs of hope quietly emerge, often where we least expect them. In recent years, statistics have shown a surprising rise in conversions, especially among the youth. In France alone, the Church, in Easter 2025, has recorded a 45% increase in adult baptisms compared to the previous year. Notably, 42% of these converts are aged 18-25. In the United Kingdom, Church attendance among the Gen Z rose by 50% in a span of six years. A lot of factors account for these exponential conversions, but The Times cites one interesting reason: young people long for stability and structure in a world marred by instability, noise, and relativism.
Cardinal Ratzinger in his homily prior to the Conclave that elected him Benedict XVI in 2005, paints a vivid picture of relativism as the great tempest of our age: “a dictatorship of relativism,” in which clear faith is unfairly dismissed as fundamentalism, while those who “let themselves be carried here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine” are praised as modern. He warns that this relativism, which refuses to acknowledge anything as definitive or unchangeable, elevates the individual ego and personal desires as the only measure of truth. Instead, Ratzinger challenges Christians to pursue “a maturity of Christ,” not a faith that drifts with cultural trends, but one rooted in deep friendship with Christ.
It is precisely against this backdrop of moral uncertainty and shifting values that the quiet return of many young people to the Church becomes all the more striking. Far from being swept away by the tides of relativism, many of the youth today are turning towards the Church out of a deep longing for truth, meaning, and a firm ground on which to anchor their life. They find in the Church an institution built not on passing trends, but on a rock-foundation laid by Christ Himself upon Peter.
This stability is not merely structural or historical: it is deeply relational. The Church that stands firm upon the rock of Peter is also the Church that is held together in unity across centuries and continents by the enduring presence of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Its strength lies not only in its foundation, but in the communion it preserves. What the youth rediscover today is not an institution frozen in time, but a living Body that remains one, holy, catholic, and apostolic through the ages.
A conservative estimate of the number of Christian denominations in 2025 ranges from 45,000 to 50,000 distinct sects, each with varying doctrines, practices, and leadership structures. The number is expected to reach 64,000 in the year 2030. By then, the Catholic Church would still be one.
Unity lies at the very heart of the Christian mystery. From the beginning, God’s plan was to gather His scattered children into one family. In Scripture, this desire is most poignantly expressed in Jesus’ prayer before His Passion: “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.” (Jn 17:21) The early Church lived out this unity in concrete ways, being “of one heart and one mind” (Acts 4:32), sharing not only possessions, but life, mission, and faith.
It is in this light that the motto of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, shines with renewed meaning: In illo uno, unum (In Him who is One, we are one). In just four words, he expresses the Church’s deepest identity and mission: that unity is only possible when it is rooted in Christ, the One who holds all things hold together.