The more often Catholics in the United States attend Mass, the more likely they are to oppose proposed changes to the Church, such as blessing same-sex marriages and allowing women to become priests, a new Pew Research Center study reveals.
Pew Research surveyed 1,787 Catholics nationwide from Feb. 3–9 and asked their views on a wide range of topics. Pew’s report specifically tracked and categorized the answers of Catholics who attend Mass at least weekly and those who don’t.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that participation in Mass “is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and his Church” (No. 2182) and that “on Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass“ (No. 2180). The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by attendance at Mass on Sundays or holy days, or on the evening of the preceding day.
According to the study, 53% of Catholics who attend weekly Mass said the Church should “stick to its traditional teachings” and limit change, while only 31% of those who attend less regularly affirmed the same position.
Between Catholics who attend Mass weekly and those who attend less regularly, the topic the two groups differed the most on was the Church’s stance on recognizing gay marriages.
Nearly two-thirds, or 66%, of Catholics who go to weekly Mass oppose Church recognizition of gay marriages, while 58% of those who attend less frequently believe the Church should recognize same-sex marriages.
Similarly, 56% of Catholics who go to weekly Mass oppose allowing women to become priests, while 67% of Catholics who attend less frequently are in favor of it.
A majority of both weekly and non-weekly attendees, however, are in favor of women becoming deacons, with 54% of weekly attendees and 74% of non-weekly attendees supporting the proposal.
According to the survey, Catholics who attend weekly Mass are sharply divided on the question of allowing priests to get married, with 49% in favor and 48% opposed. That is within the survey’s 3% margin of error. Non-weekly Mass-goers, meanwhile, clearly support such a change, with 69% in favor.
Other issues surveyed showed less marked differences between the two groups. Large majorities of both weekly and non-weekly attendees believe the Catholic Church should allow the use of birth control (72% of weekly Mass-goers and 90% of less frequent participants). Seventy-one percent of weekly Mass attendees also believe the Church should allow couples to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant, a position also supported by 88% of non-weekly Mass attendees.
