‘A step back in time’: U.S. Catholic Church sees an immense shift towards tradition

Across America, the Catholic Church is undergoing an immense shift. A generation who embraced the modernizing tide of Vatican II is increasingly giving way to religious conservatives who believe the church has been twisted by change, with the promise of eternal salvation replaced by guitar Masses, parish food pantries, and casual indifference to church doctrine. The shift, molded by plummeting church attendance, increasingly traditional priests, and growing numbers of young Catholics searching for more orthodoxy, has reshaped parishes across the country.