The Gallup Organization reports that self-reported church attendance is down among Catholics this year, apparently as a result of the clergy scandals. In March 2000, 53% of Catholics said that they had attended Mass within the past seven days; this month (Dec. 2002), that figure is down to 41%.
Now, I don’t believe either of those figures, and I suspect that about half of those Catholics were fibbing. The churches probably couldn’t hold the crowds if as many as half the Catholics attended Mass weekly — a problem greatly to be desired! Attendance counts taken annually in my archdiocese (Boston) have produced figures of 24% attendance pretty steadily for years — though I haven’t heard about the numbers for 2002.
(Thanks to Miss Amy for posting the link.)
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I agree that they were lying.