Survey: Catholics Remain in Church Despite Sexual Abuse Controversy

Catholics are not leaving the national Church despite a widespread dissatisfaction with sexual abuse allegations among Catholic clergy, a new survey found.

WASHINGTON – Catholics are not leaving the national Church despite a widespread dissatisfaction with sexual abuse allegations among Catholic clergy, a new survey by Georgetown University found.

“Although most Catholics have expressed dissatisfaction with some aspects of the Church’s handling of the issue of sexual abuse, most are also loyal to their faith in that they have not changed their patterns of Mass attendance or parish giving,” a new working paper by the university’s Center for Applied Research on the Apostolate (CARA) revealed.

Researchers identified early 2002 as the beginning of “widespread media coverage of abuse allegations,” and found that the percentage of Catholics in the U.S. remained at a constant 23 percent before and after this point.

The study also monitored changes in Mass attendance, financial offerings, and awareness of abuse scandals.

According to results, Catholics have become less likely to give financially to their diocese, having dropped from a high of 38 percent in 2002 to 29 percent in 2005.

“However, this decline cannot be attributed solely to Catholic reactions to the accusations. Respondents more often cited personal financial reasons for their change in giving than the sexual abuse scandal,” said Mark Gray, one of the paper’s co-authors.