The God that Failed Up: Review of ‘The Last Supper’ by Paul Elie

Published July 25, 2025 12:25am ET



Catholicism has become youth culture. As I write this, American youth are fetishizing the Catholic Church (what the New York Times called “New York’s Hottest Club”). Gen Zers are converting to Catholicism and posting about “sedevacantism,” the fringe-traditionalist Catholic belief that the papacy has been illegitimate since the Second Vatican. A Harvard University study showed that more Gen Zers are identifying as Catholic (up 6% between 2022 and 2023) due to what the New York Post described as “an answer to loneliness, cultural drift and a search for purpose.” And, I’d argue, due to the culture wars (fueled by cancel culture).

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