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Last week the Pew Research Center released a new survey on religion in America; their first major study of this type since 2014. Upon the survey’s publication, I could almost hear a collective groan from Catholics, since we’ve come to approach such polls with a sense of dread. The question isn’t, “Will it be bad?” The question is, “How bad will it be?”
I won’t bury the lede: it’s bad. Really bad.
Only 19% of Americans self-identify as Catholic, down from 24% in 2007. This is a 20% decrease. By comparison, Protestants decreased by 21%, while religious “nones” increased by 81% and Muslims increased by an astounding 200% (although they still make up a small percentage of the overall population—only 1.2%). Even though the Pew Survey headline suggests that the decline in Christianity in this country may have “leveled off,” it’s clear the overall direction is downward.
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The numbers get worse for Catholics. Perhaps the most stunning finding in the survey is that for every 100 people who join the Catholic Church, 840 leave. So when you rejoice seeing folks become Catholic at Easter (which you should), remember that more than 8 people have left by the back door for each one who’s come in the front.
No other religion has nearly as bad of a join/leave ratio. For every 100 people that become Protestant, 180 leave. That’s bad, but it’s not Catholic bad. Conversely, for every 100 people who leave the religious “nones” (i.e., they join a religion), a full 590 become part of that irreligious cohort.
Where are the former Catholics going? Of all the former Catholics, 56% become religious “nones” and 32% become Protestant. I think we all know from personal experience that these numbers ring true. What Catholic doesn’t have family members who have become Protestant or have stopped practicing any religion? It’s just part of being an American Catholic these days.
Like I said, it’s bad. But it’s actually much worse than you might first think from those numbers.
You might have noticed something peculiar about what I’ve shown so far. If so many people are leaving the Church, how is it that the total number has only dropped by 20%? Shouldn’t it be more?
Yes, but there’s something that keeps the numbers slightly afloat: immigration. As the Pew Survey itself states, “immigration has helped to bolster the number of Catholics in the United States.” So while millions are fleeing the Catholic Church, new migrants keep the overall numbers from looking horrific. I’m not saying our bishops are working so hard to keep mass immigration alive in this country to keep the true horrible state of the Church hidden, but the inflow sure does end up having that effect. So while millions are fleeing the Catholic Church, new migrants keep the overall numbers from looking horrific. Tweet This
However, that’s not all the bad news (I’m starting to feel like a TV salesman constantly saying, “But wait! There’s more!”). All of the numbers above reflect self-identifying Catholics; it makes no distinction between practicing and non-practicing Catholics. If you say you’re Catholic, then you’re counted as Catholic. We know, of course, that what really matters, when it comes to the salvation of souls, is actually practicing the Catholic Faith.
Fortunately, the survey also asks about attendance at religious services, but these numbers are also discouraging. Only 29% of self-identifying Catholics attend Mass weekly. So only 29% of the 19% of Americans who identify as Catholic actually fulfill the Sunday obligation.
At the risk of earning broken record status, I think it’s even worse. The Pew survey doesn’t ask about going to Confession, but based on other surveys I’ve seen over the years, the total number of self-identifying Catholics who go to Confession at least once a year is around 10%. Let’s be optimistic and say it’s actually around 20% and that all those Catholics also go to Mass weekly.
Based on the very-minimally-defined idea of a “practicing Catholic” as someone who attends Mass weekly and Confession yearly, probably at most 20% of the 19% of self-identified Catholics are practicing Catholics.
Let’s run these numbers:
- 340 million Americans
- 19% self-identify as Catholic: 64.6 million Catholics
- 20% of those Catholics: 12.92 million practicing Catholics, or 3.8% of all Americans
Compare this number of practicing Catholics to the 98.6 million religious “nones”—there are almost eight times more religious nones in America than practicing Catholics. And then remember more than 50 million of the people who identify as Catholics don’t even do the minimum to be considered practicing their faith in any real sense.
Like I said, the news is bad. Very bad.
The two questions that naturally arise when looking at these dire numbers are:
1) How did this happen?
2) What can we do to correct it?
Obviously, we must answer the first question before we can answer the second, but unfortunately most Catholic leaders are wholly uninterested in that first question. They might want to talk about how we can attract new Catholics, but they will not seriously look at why so many are leaving. Yet, for every 100 new Catholics there are 840 former Catholics. We absolutely must look at what caused this problem in the first place.
Catholics ignoring the problem is the biggest challenge, but there is another challenge: giving simplistic answers. There is no “silver bullet” that will reverse the decline. Just spreading the TLM (the trad silver bullet) or improving catechesis (the conservative silver bullet) or accepting modern sexual mores (the liberal silver bullet) won’t solve the problem. There is no one answer for how to move forward.
Just off the top of my head, here are a few factors I believe have caused this massive outflow from the Church:
- Ineffective leadership, especially among bishops
- Religious indifference
- Poor catechesis
- Scandals within the Church
- Irreverent Masses
- Lackluster parishes
- Overall lack of enthusiasm for the faith
- The secularization of culture
- Rapid advances in technology that allow someone to feel “fulfilled” without religion
The full answer to “How did this happen?” includes all of the above and much more. Because of this, Catholics need to consider a complete overhaul in how the Church currently operates. Absolutely nothing should be off the table, except those things that are of divine origin (no abolishing the Sacraments, for example). The status quo that has reigned over the past 60 years must become a thing of the past.
The problem with the status quo, of course, is that it’s familiar and comfortable. Dioceses and parishes have been operating the same way for decades now, and any institutional change will be greatly resisted by the keepers of the status quo, which is often bishops and many parish priests…and definitely the lay staff in chanceries and parish offices. Even orthodox Catholics fall into this rut, just looking for the next program from various apostolates to solve our problems.
The path forward, however, must be much more radical. If Facebook executives found out that for every 100 people who join their platform, 840 leave, you can be sure they would consider sweeping changes. Likewise should Catholics entertain significant reforms: it must include how bishops manage the Church, how we celebrate Mass, how we educate our children, how we interrelate with other religions, and every other aspect of ecclesial life. A few practical ideas that come to mind:
- Promote homeschooling among Catholics
- Make the traditional Latin Mass much more widely celebrated
- Abolish the USCCB
- Halt all interreligious activities
- Return to the Baltimore Catechism
- Bring back year-long Friday abstinence
- Shut down parish sports leagues that play on Sundays
In truth, these ideas only sound radical if one is fixated on continuing the failures of the past 60 years.
We’re at the point of a serious ecclesial crisis in our country, which means we need to be serious about solutions, even if they go against our post-conciliar status quo. One thing that’s for sure, as long as we bury our heads in the sand and keep doing what we’ve been doing, the number of Catholics leaving the Church will only continue to grow.
The key to the Catholic faith is the Holy Eucharist. If one believes in the True Presence, body and blood, of Christ in the Holy Eucharist you cannot leave the Church, but you attend Mass at least once every week and receive Holy Communion. I have problems with many things in the Church today, but I cannot miss the Holy Sacrifice that occurs at every Mass. Protestant faiths deny “the True Presence.” How could Christ allow such a horrendous error to be taught for over 1500 years in a Church he founded (“Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”)? All other Christian denominations are founded by men. These facts must be at the top of the list in any form of Church teaching. People cannot believe in these basic teachings and still leave the Church.
Background: an African-American boomer born and raised a “none” (a relatively rarity); self-professed atheist by age 12; baptized at age 33 in an evangelical Protestant “non-denom” community; “studied” my way into the Church at age 39 with accompaniment by an exceptionally well-formed and informed Catholic co-worker; my wife of 40 years (27 as Catholic spouses) and I have proactively grown in the Faith ever since.
My perspective reflects my experience of radical religious and cultural transitions, the latter being immersion in the predominantly white-collar strata of Euro-American Protestant and Catholic suburban cultures, following my upbringing up in a predominantly blue-collar African-American setting. My “ratings” of the relevance of the author’s proposals are based on this perspective:
Promote homeschooling among Catholics: Highly relevant. Public schools in general are extremely virulent institutional “vectors” of counter-Christian indoctrination, which not only corrupt the children immediately subjected to it, but make them potential vectors to Catholic children schooled parochially or even domestically.
Make the traditional Latin Mass much more widely celebrated: Somewhat relevant. There is no evidence that prior to the Pope’s dictate, widespread availability of the TLM in any way mattered to those Catholics prone to defect. However, the disaffection and disunity provoked by the Pope’s dictate certainly has not been an attractive “look” for the Church, especially to those already prone to leave.
Abolish the USCCB: Dubious relevance. The problem is not recurrent congregation among the bishops in itself, but counterproductive “group think” influenced by provocative bishops (and/or staff), who are aided and abetted by “careerist” bishops inclined to “go along to get along.” I see a more relevant solution as removing incentives to the episcopate which appeal to desires for power and status, and thereby potentially undermine truly pastoral commitment. I.e, palatial digs, unmitigated access to and control over diocesan resources, unquestioned control over pastoral assignments, etc.. Annual renewal of episcopal oaths to defend the Faith, similar to the annual oath of magisterial allegiance required of Catholic professors in Catholic academic institutions, is another idea.
Halt all interreligious activities: Somewhat relevant. Indiscriminate purging guarantees throwing out babies with bathwater. There are doubtless fora that promote “false irenicism” which should be halted. Conversely, fora in which an authentic search for truth is ongoing through sincere dialogue should not be disrupted.
Return to the Baltimore Catechism: Somewhat relevant. Return to a “meat and potatoes” catechesis especially suitable for formation of children and youth is desirable. The problem lies in using the CCC as a catechism rather than as a sourcebook for writing catechisms, which is its self-documented intended use. This provides local bishops and catechetical institutes discretion in referencing the CCC. The CCC in turn should be updated to emphasize the distinction between suggestive papal pastoral guidance and authoritative teaching.
Bring back year-long Friday abstinence. Irrelevant. Re-establishing a particular practice of Friday penance smacks of “ritual presumption,” i.e., viewing particular practices that have no intrinsic sacramental or moral significance as innately righteous. Of course behavior matters, as the body and spirit are one. But dictating such practices as a way to increase fidelity to the Church trivializes the need for spiritual and doctrinal formation of a substantial nature. As evident in the rapid collapse in the 1960s of the Catholic conformity to religious authority which prevailed during the vaunted “golden era” of the preceding decades, Catholic practice in the main was motivated at least as much by social expectation (i.e., human respect) as by sincere conviction. Reviving imposition of Friday abstinence is simply “gilding the lily,” not refining the gold.
Shut down parish sports leagues that play on Sundays: Highly relevant. Only sporting events that are truly recreational (i.e., relaxing and restorative) are consistent with sabbath rest. Participating is highly competitive sports leagues can be a sound means pf building virtue, but their competitive character makes them inconsistent with the spirit of the sabbath. For parishes to subject children and families to the tug of competition for their full and attentive participation in Sunday Mass vs. league sporting events is obviously scandalous.
Several things you mentioned are the reasons why Catholics are leaving the Church, these are not in order.
Bad bishops and priests. How can we be inspired to go to church when our prelates do nothing? They attend stupid meetings, they don’t seem to care for their flocks. They close parishes and change Mass times all the time. Their homilies say nothing, the music is awful, they want your feedback but they don’t listen to you or read your feedback. They don’t emphasize vocations, they are worried about all the Catholic programs that do nothing. The Masses are all about clapping and doesn’t feel reverent. How often do you attend a NO Mass and truly feel uplifted? Yes, you can have reverent NO Masses if the parish tries hard enough, but it’s seldom. The rare use of altar boys. Why would anyone but those deep in the faith attend a Mass that’s no different than a protestant service? ( I grew up a protestant.)
A pope that is more worried about political correctness than about defending the teachings of the Church. The continuing cancelling of Latin Masses. The promotion of radical bishops and priests. The solutions are out there but it will take years and better popes, bishops, and priests before these corrections will have a positive effect of bringing people back to the Church and increasing its membership.
When the Deacon announces that it is time for everyone to start groping and pawing at each other, give you honey a little smooch and turn your back on Christ to high-five the folks in the back row it is almost all can do to keep from walking away. Hopefully, somebody will catch on and undo Vat II.
The United States Conference of Rolex Reverends does not seem to care about us at all.
The Bishops have ignored the state of things thus far, I don’t hold out much hope that will change. There is a small hope now that immigrations have ended, but it’s very small, infinitesimal.
For me it’s become penitent to attend to my local parish, especially during audience clapping (yes that does happen) and standup routines that pose as sermons (father -find a nightclub).
And as I suffer through, I wonder how many simply decide not to.
Having come to the Catholic Church (meaning, “The Church”) via the American Baptist faith, I am perhaps one of those militant pro-Catholic voices whose fervor can be easily dismissed as merely a reaction to the awfulness of a human-led (vs. Christ-led) church, similar to how those who kick cigarettes can become very pro-health. But, after teaching Sunday school in that faith for 10 years and always finding myself in Catholic commentary and literature, I began to ask the right questions, and found that the Magisterium, Apostolic succession, and a 2000+-year history tying the Church back to Christ Himself made sense. And, so, off to RCIA I did go, through St. Alphonsus de Ligouri and the Redemptorists.
My comment is this: Catholicism has to restore to itself its primacy as the Church. There is no Christian Church in the world throughout history without Catholicism, birthed as it was through numerous heresies and controversies (all human in nature). The communion of saints teaches us as humans both the frailties and unwavering strengths of how humans worship and lead a good life. There is no shining city upon a hill without its shine – meaning, a Christ-led and -owned Church where Mass is necessary to bring us right with Him no less than weekly. A Mass (TLM; the Novus Ordo is *not* Mass) which is said Ad Orientam on our behalf, pleading with Christ to forgive us for our numerous and ongoing sins, not facing us as if *we’re* being worshiped (despite how much popular culture teaches us exactly that “value”).
Ecumenism is sin, as it dilutes faith to merely humanist common “values”, rather than those, yes difficult, values which Christ calls us to in every letter of the law, which shall never pass away until He returns (Marana Tha). This is not to reduce faith to self-flagellation, but to elevate it in our lives, our families, our culture, and our Nation. When you’re right with Christ, you are serene, you are consistent, you are blessed, and your life will be on average better than those who are not right with Christ. To the extent these are not true, then we are wrapped in exactly the struggles Christ foresaw, and He will be with us every step of that way on our journey to His Grace.
One of the main differences between the Protestant church and the Church that I saw was the idea that being saved is a “past tense” concept in the Protestant church, whereas in the Church, it is a journey which requires our vigilance and our persistence, through prayer, Confession, all of the Sacraments, and the full Magisterium. Without that, we are merely dissolved into the rest of society, no more worthy of Christ than anyone else may be. There is a reason we pray to the Saints and our Holy Mother, “Pray for us that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ”. And, we pray for all in that regard.
We emerged from God’s heart, fully known before we were born. To God’s heart we continuously seek to return, through the Church. There is no more beautiful place or concept than that, to be with Him. And, to that place, there is only one Gate. Thank God for Christ, that we have that Gate.
Rather than common values, could you contend that all men of good will share common virtues?
I attend the Eucharistic Services through out the year, however painful the new mass and our liberal to progressive musings that pass as homilies. My search for Authenticity is restricted to my readings from Traditionalist authors and sources. I yet have my childhood distrust of liberation theology and my search for Authenticity since that time including a flirtation with Deism, hence I yet identify with the Prodigal Son, a sheep yet lost in the wilderness and a gold coin having come so far with yet too far to go with baggage that precludes me from full participation in Catholicism. To the question of where do I go from here? Only to God, only to God.
Eric,
The only answer will be REVIVAL.
I don’t know what form it will take, but it will happen.
We faithful need to pray, fast, and REPENT.
God will not abandon His unfaithful spouse.