- Feb 5, 2002
- 187,103
- 69,262
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
The re-election of President Donald Trump held many surprises to pollsters, including that 56% of Catholic voters supported Trump, while only 41% supported Harris. According to the Washington Post, 52% of Catholics supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, compared to 47% for President Trump. This is a notable shift, and as Catholics, we shouldn’t just wonder “why” it happened; we should consider what this trend is revealing about the needs of our people and how the Church can better engage our culture.
This generation is searching for something they aren’t finding in the broader culture. In an era where masculinity is often criticized or misunderstood, young men are looking for models of strength and purpose. Many were drawn to Donald Trump’s platform for his message of confidence and boldness. And while the Church’s vision of masculinity differs from political displays of power, it’s clear that young men are hungry for strong leadership — and this is a need we should take seriously.
As a Church, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to guide young men toward a vision of masculinity that is rooted in virtue and sacrifice. The saints, virtuous fathers, and selfless leaders in our history have shown us what it means to be men who image Christ. We need to model this for our young men, giving them examples that they can look up to, not only as followers but as leaders called to defend and protect their families, their faith and their parish communities. Our youth programs and seminaries have to respond to this need by preparing men to be loving fathers, strong protectors and holy priests and religious who embrace true leadership. The search for confidence and boldness among young men is a powerful sign that the Church must step forward and nurture virtuous masculinity.
Continued below.
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A call for virtuous masculinity
One of the most visible trends in this election has been the support Trump garnered from young men. Men between the ages of 18 and 29 turned to Trump decisively this election. This demographic voted by a 15% margin for Joe Biden in 2020. In 2024, young men shifted 30 percentage points to the right, going for Trump by a margin of 16%, according to the Wall Street Journal.This generation is searching for something they aren’t finding in the broader culture. In an era where masculinity is often criticized or misunderstood, young men are looking for models of strength and purpose. Many were drawn to Donald Trump’s platform for his message of confidence and boldness. And while the Church’s vision of masculinity differs from political displays of power, it’s clear that young men are hungry for strong leadership — and this is a need we should take seriously.
As a Church, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to guide young men toward a vision of masculinity that is rooted in virtue and sacrifice. The saints, virtuous fathers, and selfless leaders in our history have shown us what it means to be men who image Christ. We need to model this for our young men, giving them examples that they can look up to, not only as followers but as leaders called to defend and protect their families, their faith and their parish communities. Our youth programs and seminaries have to respond to this need by preparing men to be loving fathers, strong protectors and holy priests and religious who embrace true leadership. The search for confidence and boldness among young men is a powerful sign that the Church must step forward and nurture virtuous masculinity.
Refocusing the pro-life movement
Continued below.
A priest responds to the US election: Three priorities for the Church
What does the decision of a majority of Catholic voters to support Donald Trump reveal about how the Church should engage our culture?
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