Religion

SecularMotion

(7,981 posts) Wed Mar 6, 2013, 08:24 AM Mar 2013

Catholic Church struggles to keep young people from leaving the faith

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — As the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new pope to guide it into the future, church leaders are struggling to keep young people from leaving the faith.

Four out of five Catholics who have left the church - and have not joined another - did so before the age of 24, according to The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Some young Catholics have drifted away as they moved from home and failed to connect to a new parish, while others have left because their personal political views made them feel isolated. Some have blamed the church's conservative stance on gay marriage and abortion for their departure.

The Catholic hierarchy is not doing enough to address the problem, said Robert J. McCarty, director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/05/2726244/catholic-church-struggles-to-keep.html#storylink=cpy

5 replies

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Catholic Church struggles to keep young people from leaving the faith (Original Post) SecularMotion Mar 2013 OP

And some didn't like the priest's hands on them. aquart Mar 2013 #1

It is not confined to just the "young people." Many oldsters have been suspicious for many years monmouth3 Mar 2013 #2

That is GREAT NEWS!!! cleanhippie Mar 2013 #3

Too late. Catholicism is almost dead in my social circle ButterflyBlood Mar 2013 #4

The catholic church needs to wake up and start paying attention. cbayer Mar 2013 #5

aquart

(69,014 posts)

1. And some didn't like the priest's hands on them.

Reply to SecularMotion (Original post)

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 08:26 AM

Mar 2013

monmouth3

(3,871 posts)

2. It is not confined to just the "young people." Many oldsters have been suspicious for many years

Reply to SecularMotion (Original post)

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:02 AM

Mar 2013

and now fed up, they are leaving also.

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)

3. That is GREAT NEWS!!!

Reply to SecularMotion (Original post)

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:56 AM

Mar 2013

Reason is winning the day over mythology and superstition.

Now back to the fight...

ButterflyBlood

(12,644 posts)

4. Too late. Catholicism is almost dead in my social circle

Reply to SecularMotion (Original post)

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 11:24 AM

Mar 2013

I don't know anyone who identifies as Catholic, not even "cafeteria Catholic". The 18-29 bracket have already thrown Catholicism out the window.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

5. The catholic church needs to wake up and start paying attention.

Reply to SecularMotion (Original post)

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 01:52 PM

Mar 2013

I recently posted an article about young latinos in the US who are leaving the catholic church in large numbers and going to other churches. This is a demographic they always thought they had in their pocket.

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