The Catholic Crack-Up

WHEN Pope John Paul II arrives in the U.S. on August 12 to attend World Youth Day in Denver, he will find the American Catholic Church a house divided against itself. In the words of one crusty Franciscan, “The only thing holding the American Church back from a schism is the real estate.” And that rift is tied in with other problems.

In 1958 about 78 per cent of Catholics attended Mass weekly (compared to 44 per cent of Protestants). Recent polls report that weekly Mass attendance has declined to 35 per cent, and some well-informed people (like a chancery official in an Eastern diocese who regularly travels throughout the country) contend the actual figure is closer to 25 per cent. While that is higher than the 13 per cent reported by mainline Protestant churches, it is reason for serious concern.

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About the Author

Fr. Robert A. Sirico

Father Robert Sirico is an American Catholic priest and the founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.

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WHEN Pope John Paul II arrives in the U.S. on August 12 to attend World Youth Day in Denver, he will find the American Catholic Church a house divided against itself. In the words of one crusty Franciscan, “The only thing holding the American Church back from a schism is the real estate.” And that rift is tied in with other problems.

In 1958 about 78 per cent of Catholics attended Mass weekly (compared to 44 per cent of Protestants). Recent polls report that weekly Mass attendance has declined to 35 per cent, and some well-informed people (like a chancery official in an Eastern diocese who regularly travels throughout the country) contend the actual figure is closer to 25 per cent. While that is higher than the 13 per cent reported by mainline Protestant churches, it is reason for serious concern.