Most US Catholics do not accept Church teaching on Eucharist, poll finds
November 15, 2021
» Continue to this story on Pillar
CWN Editor's Note: Only 41% of American Catholics—and just half of those who attend Mass weekly—believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ, according to a new Pillar survey.
In 2019, a Pew survey found that only 31% of American Catholics—but 63% of those who attend Mass weekly—accept the Church’s doctrinal teaching.
The Pillar survey results were made public just before the November meeting of the US episcopal conference, at which the bishops will discuss a proposed document on proper reverence for the Eucharist.
On other questions, the Pillar survey found that American Catholics generally trust their bishops and pastors, with the level of trust significantly higher among regular Mass-goers. An even stronger majority (76%) trust Pope Francis, with the results fairly consistent across the ideological spectrum.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Nov. 17, 2021 12:37 PM ET USA
An interesting correlation: a minority of Catholics believe in the Catholic Eucharist; yet a majority trust bishops and most especially Pope Francis. In science we refer to this as an inverse relationship. As the level of trust in the Church hierarchy goes up, the level of faith in true religion goes down. If faith in true religion decreases with an increase in trust in Church hierarchy, then can Phil's recent remarks about bureaucratic hierarchs be far from the truth? Trust in God or in man?
