If you’ve missed the Catholic Church of the 1970s‚ no need to worry. Last weekend‚ the Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosted its annual Religious Education (RE) Congress — one of the largest gatherings of Catholics in the U.S. — at the Anaheim Convention Center‚ complete with badly-sung worship music‚ sappy messaging‚ and liturgical dance. The opening ceremony‚ which you can find on YouTube‚ feels like a throw back. Within just the first five minutes of the livestream recording‚ women in flowing yellow and gold silk robes accompanied by men in long shirts and khaki pants were dancing around the altar carrying white bowls of incense. They were quickly followed by massive red and yellow dragon figurines (it was Chinese New Year) performing comical dance routines on stage to the beat of drums while a young woman informed ignorant Westerners attending that dragons symbolize “good luck” in China. (READ MORE: Germany’s Bishops Are Approaching Schism) The opening address assured listeners of God’s unconditional love (the theme of the Congress this year was “Be Loved”) but it’s unclear whether attendees were supposed to pay attention to the messaging or to the troupe of women in red flowing robes providing an interpretive dance accompaniment. Young Catholics have increasingly rejected the post-conciliar radical attitudes towards Catholicism. The rest of the two-day adult conference was par for the course for liberal Catholicism. Cardinal Robert McElroy pointed out that the event is “one of the greatest synodal gatherings that take place in this nation every year” during his summary of everything that went on at the Synod on Synodality in Rome last Fall. He emphasized a coming decentralization of Church authority‚ an increased focus on inclusion‚ and hinted at possible changes to Church teaching. (READ MORE: The Synod on Synodality Leaves Everyone Dissatisfied) Meanwhile‚ keynote speaker and film producer Jessica Sarowitz spoke about her recent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain — a journey she was inspired to go one after reading Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment‚ Laudatory Si’‚ during the pandemic. The Youth Day that proceeded the conferences intended for adults was attended by some 6‚500 high-school-aged teenagers who were treated to magic shows with Giancarlo Benoni and video games alongside popular author Bobby Angel. Young adults were even given the opportunity to practice care for the environment alongside Catholic Climate Convent program manager Kayla Jacobs. In fact‚ the mode was so charismatic during Mass that‚ as Holy Communion was being distributed‚ an “impromptu light display broke out.” Thousands of teens lit their cell phone flashlights and swayed to the emotional music being played. Archbishop José Gomez and the concelebrating priests even joined in. It’s fair to say that the LA RE Congress was a lesson in what Catholicism influenced by woke and liberal ideologies looks like — but it was also an illustration of how unpopular that flavor of Catholicism has become in the Church. Some 12‚000 adults were registered to attend the Congress‚ which may sound like a lot‚ but just five years ago the conference was attended by 36‚000 adults while 12‚000 teenagers attended the event’s youth track. It may be tempting to blame the sudden drop-off in registered attendees on the COVID pandemic‚ but similar Catholic gatherings have bounced back. FOCUS’s SEEK Conference in January hosted some 19‚000 Catholic teenagers and young adults (it also did not feature liturgical dance). (READ MORE: The Regrettable ‘Gay Christ’ Poster vs. the Magnificent Holy Week in Seville) In fact‚ it’s fair to say that there is a growing rift between the remaining faithful Catholics‚ who no longer want watered-down messaging and awkward swaying in Church‚ and the Church hierarchy that pushed for liberal reforms in the last half-century. As Steve Skojec‚ founder of OnePeterFive and a newly fallen-away Catholic recently ranted on X: I was born in ’77‚ and I’ve never in my life seen anything but felt banners and ‘Lord of the Dance’ and glad tambourines and communion in the hand and polyester-abled EMHCs (when they’re not women in skintight pants) and homilies that are straight out of Chicken Soup for the Low-IQ and all the not-very-ambiguously-gay pastors and the pastors who reprimand people for wanting to genuflect or receive communion kneeling or kneel during the concecration …. Historical Catholicism produced martyrs. Modern Catholicism produces lapsed Catholics and atheists. But it’s not just ex-traditionalist pundits who don’t want felt banners. Young Catholics have increasingly rejected the post-conciliar radical attitudes towards Catholicism — something that was strikingly illustrated during the last World Youth Day in Portugal. The night before the closing mass of the event‚ several young Catholics discovered large grey Tupperware containers carelessly packed in a tent full of pre-consecrated hosts with “the minimum of dignity‚ decorum or reverence.” They were‚ understandably‚ horrified and knelt down to say a rosary in reparation for the offenses committed against the Sacred Heart. Of course it was small things that didn’t make headlines — but the Church hierarchy in places such as Los Angeles should probably pay attention. This next generation of Catholics isn’t interested in a watered-down version of their faith. The post It’s Not the 1970s. But the Catholic Archdiocese of LA Wants It to Be. appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.