Should Catholics keep their faith? Sex abuse scandals prompt more to personally question ties to church, poll finds
UNITED STATES
USA Today
March 13, 2019
By Doug Stanglin
Amid the latest spate of allegations of sexual abuse of young people by priests, an increasing percentage of Catholics are re-examining their commitment to the religion, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The Gallup poll found that 37 percent of respondents said “recent news about sexual abuse of young people by priests” has them personally questioning whether to remain Catholic — a 15 point increase since 2002.
The polling, conduct in January and February, came as Pope Francis met at the Vatican with Catholic leaders from around the world to respond to a new wave of sex abuse allegations in numerous countries.
