New study of U.S. Catholics cites young adults as problem for church

Published: 2007-04-05

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. Catholic Church's relationship with younger adults is problematic, says a newly published study by four leading sociologists of religion. In one recent survey "just over half of American Catholics said that young adults' lack of participation in the church is a serious problem," the 205-page book says. That concern was reflected not just by older Catholics, but even by nearly half of the younger adult Catholics surveyed, it says. The new book is titled "American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Their Church." It was co-authored by William V. D'Antonio, James D. Davidson, Dean R. Hoge and Mary L. Gautier. D'Antonio and Hoge are fellows of the Life Cycle Institute of The Catholic University of America, Davidson teaches sociology at Purdue University and Gautier is a senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. Reporting mainly on a 2005 telephone survey of nearly 900 Catholics by the Gallup Organization, the study compares results of that survey with similar surveys taken in 1987, 1993 and 1999 and with other sociological studies of Catholics conducted by the authors in recent years.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .