NEW ORLEANS (LA)
The Times-Picayune
October 1, 2018
By Kim Chatelain
In 1955, a Gallup poll asked U.S. Catholics if they had attended Mass within the last seven days and 75 percent said they had done so. In 2017, a similar poll showed that the number had dropped to 39 percent.
Now, in the wake of recent revelations of clergy abuse in the church and efforts by the Catholic hierarchy to cover it up, questions abound as to whether the scandal will hasten the decline in Mass attendance, in men entering the seminary and in donations to one of the world’s most generous and influential religious institutions. Bishops and priests around the county have acknowledged that the clergy sex scandals outlined in an explosive Pennsylvania report released in August exasperated Catholics and prompted many to contemplate their involvement with the church.
What Catholic leaders do in response to the scandal could play a major role in how many people hold onto their faith. As secretary and an executive committee member of the influential U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond could have a major role in determining the course of action.
“It is a crisis,” Aymond said of the clergy abuse scandal in a recent interview. “It is something that gives a variety of emotions for all of us – anger, disappointment, outrage, heartbreak. It is important that we acknowledge those feelings” and bring about a renewal.
While hard numbers are difficult to come by, local church leaders say there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that many avid Catholics will continue to practice their faith but will demand that priests and bishops do a better job of policing themselves. If they can’t, some Catholics say the church must establish an outside investigative entity to hold religious leaders accountable.
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