The State of Religion Today
Why is urgent evangelization necessary?
The Christian community cannot carry out a permanent catechesis without the direct and skilled participation of adults, whether as receivers or as promoters of catechetical activity. - John Paul II1
USA - Belief in God
More than 9 in 10 Americans still say "yes" when asked the basic question "Do you believe in God?" This is down only slightly from the 1940s, when Gallup first asked this question.
From: Gallup Poll3
USA - Identity as Christian
The percentage of Protestants identifying themselves as strongly religious has increased while the percent of Catholics expressing the same identity has declined. Only thirty-eight percent of Catholics say they are srongly religious.
From: Gallup4
Catholics - Frequency of Mass Attendance
Twenty-three percent of adult Catholics attend Mass every week. Older Catholics are more likely to attend mass than younger Catholics. Sixty-six percents of Catholics never attend mass or attend only a few tmes a year. (1). For all Christian religions in America only 20.4% attend church on any given Sunday.(2)
1) From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
2) From: Hartford Institute for Religious Research
Catholic Attitudes
Sixty-four percent of Catholics who do not attend mass weekly think missing mass is not a sin, and fifty percent of those Catholics describe themselves as 'not very religious'.
From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
Catholics Mission and Life
Twenty-seven percent of Catholics say that 'living a life consistent with Church teaching' is not important, and thirty-four percent say attending mass is not important.7
From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
Catholics and the Eucharist
Sixty percent of Christmas-Easter Catholics do not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Thirty-five percent of Catholics who attend mass once or more times a month have the same view.
From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
Catholics Vocations
Only seventeen percent of Catholics males have ever considered becoming a priest or brother and only five percent have ever considered becoming a permanent deacon. Only thirteen percent of females have considerd becoming a religious sister.
From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
Catholics Population
From: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate5