Figures don't lie but

[clmowry]

Anybody have a link to a good study on divorce rates among Catholic couples who actually attend mass weekly?

I would think this to be a good indication they are actually practicing Catholics. i.e. Weekly mass goers may not all be “practicing” Catholics, but those who are not would not be by definition.

You see all kinds of numbers tossed out there claiming that “Catholics [Chrisitans] divorces just as often as non-Catholics [non-Christians]”

Someone tossed out “Barna’s” Divorce statistics on one of the threads. Browsing the internet looking for some data I find the following:

brewright.blogspot.com/2006/12/evaluation-of-barnas-divorce-statistics_11.html

According to this blog apparently only 16% of Catholics are respondents who were deemed “Christian” i.e. only those who identified themselves as “born again.”

Whether this analysis is correct or not it leads me to question the validity of any such study.

I read elsewhere that in Paris where 76% of the population calls themselves “Catholic” only 5% of those “Catholics” attend mass on a weekly basis.

So what I’m interested in particular is a study that shows divorce rates among Catholic Couples who both attend mass religiously .

So far other than non-supported claims of <1% I’m drawing a blank.

Anybody have a link.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[vera_dicere]

I don’t have any info, but I do have a suggestion as sorts - I read somehwere a while back that divorce rates amongst Catholics were high if those Catholics were using artificial contraceptions - but it wasn’t a “study” par se, it seemed to be based on someone’s opinion based on what they had seen in annullment proceedings.

I’d be really interested to see the divorce rates amongst catholics who use artificial contraceptives and those who don’t.

 

[Alexander_Smith]

Considering most “Catholics” don’t actually abide by the Church’s teaching, we can safely say that the statistics mean little. Divorce rates among devout or practicing Catholics is another story

 

[bkayw]

google.com/search?q=divorce+rates+catholic+mass+attendance&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7

 

[paul_c]

From: cara.georgetown.edu/MarriageReport.pdf

Differences by Frequency of Mass Attendance
Among those who have ever been married, the more frequently Catholics attend Mass,
the less likely it is that they have been divorced (either currently or previously). Thirty-three
percent of those who rarely or never attend Mass are or have been divorced. This compares to 22 percent of those who attend a few times a year, and 16 percent of those who attend at least once a month.

 

[clmowry]

From: cara.georgetown.edu/MarriageReport.pdf

Differences by Frequency of Mass Attendance
Among those who have ever been married, the more frequently Catholics attend Mass,
the less likely it is that they have been divorced (either currently or previously). Thirty-three
percent of those who rarely or never attend Mass are or have been divorced. This compares to 22 percent of those who attend a few times a year, and 16 percent of those who attend at least once a month.

Thank you kind sir. I’ll look it over.

Chuck

 

[JohnCS]

Hello,
I also have seen the less than 1% number for married catholics who attend mass together at least once per week. I think I saw the number in a book called defending the higher law, but I could be wrong…sorry I borrowed the book from a library and do not have it handy to check. I may have also read it in “Rediscovering Catholicism” as I read that book at about the same time. I do know that I saw the number though, and I remember it being from a good source or study. Sorry I don’t remember excactly where I saw it.
God bless,

John

As personal experience though, I tend to believe that number. Before my wife and I started practicing our faith we were on the verge of divorce multiple times, these last 3 years though have been nothing but fantastic. God truly is magnificent!

 

[paul_c]

It stands to reason that if both the partners are devout Catholics who believe in the sanctity of marriage, there could be no way that they would consider divorce. To consider divorce is to not believe in the sanctity of marriage…

 

[clmowry]

This reflects my experience as well.

Of all of the couples who I see “every week” at Mass for the last 15 years I know of only one divorce [and that husband was pretty much only seen at special events but not very often at mass.]

We have a very active Church community and I’d guess the numer of couples that I “know” at the church is in the ~200 range.

That said there are ~1,100 families registered in the parish. I’m sure there are 800 or so I wouldn’t remember having seen at mass if I saw them on the streets [and I’m pretty good with faces, names, not so good, but I remember a face]. Granted I only regularly attend 2 of the 4 mass times, so that likely rules out 50% face recognition all by itself.

Chuck

Hello,
I also have seen the less than 1% number for married catholics who attend mass together at least once per week. I think I saw the number in a book called defending the higher law, but I could be wrong…sorry I borrowed the book from a library and do not have it handy to check. I may have also read it in “Rediscovering Catholicism” as I read that book at about the same time. I do know that I saw the number though, and I remember it being from a good source or study. Sorry I don’t remember excactly where I saw it.
God bless,

John

As personal experience though, I tend to believe that number. Before my wife and I started practicing our faith we were on the verge of divorce multiple times, these last 3 years though have been nothing but fantastic. God truly is magnificent!