Pastor's Page: Church Teaching and Credibility
August 29 ,2010
In addition to the priest abuse scandal, the Hoge-Davidson study completed in October 2003, covered a wide range of topics. Catholics were asked for their perspectives on Church teaching, authority, involvement in church life, Catholic identity, and their viewpoint on major church problems.
It is encouraging to note that Catholics of all generations expressed belief in Christ’s presence in the sacraments and a special love for the poor. But Catholics over 63 years old placed far more emphasis on the importance of weekly Mass participation with 75% deeming it essential to the Catholic faith. Among younger Catholics only 50 % agreed with the centrality of weekly Mass.
A similar gap was found on moral issues. 69% of older Catholics said homosexual acts are always wrong, while only 39% of younger Catholics agreed. 55% of senior Catholics believe abortion is always wrong, with 35% of younger Catholics agreeing. On premarital sex, 54% of older Catholics say it’s always wrong, while 24% of the younger generations believe it’s always wrong.
The sex abuse scandal influenced the giving of 19% of the surveyed Catholics. Twelve percent said they were giving less in 2003 because of the scandal. Six percent said they were giving more. Our diocese is showing a similar percentage of decline in income since the scandal broke in early 2002.
What will the U.S. Catholic Church of the future believe? The Hoge - Davidson study indicates tomorrow’s Catholics will be, like American culture, more individualistic and with less involvement with parish life. They will be more liberal on sexual moral issues, less institutional and more desirous of democratic principles in leadership among church leaders. Hierarchical teachings will not be automatically accepted. They will need to be persuaded and convinced by sound argument. The better educated Catholics are, the less likely they are to be concerned about Church moral discipline.
Catholic Church teaching is clearly at odds with the American culture. Many Post-Vatican II Catholics (under 63 years old), disagree too with traditional teaching on the importance of weekly Sunday worship, and on abortion, and moral teaching on human sexuality. What national strategy can Catholic Church leadership devise to successfully promote traditional Catholic teaching and practice?
Peace,
Father Bruce
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