Pew: No clear ‘Pope Francis effect’ among U.S. Catholics

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That squares well with the anecdotal evidence I’ve run into with lapsed Catholic friends and family. They “love” Francis, but I’ve yet to see one of them show up at Mass or decide to follow the Church’s moral teaching.

You’d think, after 50 yrs, we would have learned that being soft and cuddly isn’t the way to get people back in the Church. If it was the Anglicans would be doing much better than they are. Instead we see Muslim Fundamentalists on the rise and they are the least cuddly of any religion. Why are they doing so well? There’s probably several reasons, but that they take their religion seriously, as something important, might be the key.
 
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
 
Look, he’s been Pope for less than a year now. I think it’s a bit unfair to ask his Holiness to fill the Churches to the brim overnight. Changing people’s hearts and reigniting the faith is something that unfortunately takes time.
 
alexandratm said:
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
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Thanks be to God! and Welcome home!!! 👍
 
McCall1981 said:
I thought this was interesting.

Stats from Pew Research Center indicate that among US Catholics there has not been a bump in Mass attendence, or in Catholic self-identification, during the pontificate of Pope Francis.

pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/11/25/no-clear-pope-francis-effect-among-u-s-catholics/

This seems to run counter to the claims of a “Pope Francis effect”.
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The Pope Francis effect has been felt throughout Europe and Latin America - the article is saying that there has been no effect in on mass attendance in the US.
 
alexandratm said:
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
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Good for you!
 
Johann_du_Toit said:
Look, he’s been Pope for less than a year now. I think it’s a bit unfair to ask his Holiness to fill the Churches to the brim overnight. Changing people’s hearts and reigniting the faith is something that unfortunately takes time.
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exactly!
 
alexandratm said:
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
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The survey in the OP was of those who identified already as Catholic. It would be an interesting follow up survey to see if there is more of a “Pope Francis effect” among those who are not yet Catholic.

P.S. Welcome home.
 
alexandratm said:
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
Click to expand...
Pope Francis is why my husband decided to become interested in catholic news and start researching and reading about his childhood faith again, which lead to going to Mass for the first time in over 20 years. Admiration for the Pope is one of the reasons he decided to revert and why I decided to convert, so it’s not just you 🙂
 
Johann_du_Toit said:
Look, he’s been Pope for less than a year now. I think it’s a bit unfair to ask his Holiness to fill the Churches to the brim overnight. Changing people’s hearts and reigniting the faith is something that unfortunately takes time.
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The point is not that anyone is expecting him to fill the pews overnight, the point is that many in the media and in the Church have been saying that there has *already been *a “Francis effect” happening since March. Apparently that isn’t true, at least in the US. He may get more people to return later on or something, but contrary to what many have been asserting, it has not happened yet (at least according to this study).
liturgyluver said:
The Pope Francis effect has been felt throughout Europe and Latin America - the article is saying that there has been no effect in on mass attendance in the US.
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I know, I said “US Catholics” in my OP. There may or may not be people returning to mass in Latin America and Europe, I don’t know. But, people have been claiming that this effect is happening in the US and apparently it isn’t.
 
alexandratm said:
I know, plural of anecdote is not data, but - I had been thinking over the idea of converting for a few years. Pope Francis, along with a few others things that happened in my life, did give me the nudge to call up the RCIA coordinator and do it. So, there’s at least one person who can contribute their mass attendance to him. 🙂
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Outstanding! you made my day!👍
 
McCall1981 said:
I thought this was interesting.

Stats from Pew Research Center indicate that among US Catholics there has not been a bump in Mass attendence, or in Catholic self-identification, during the pontificate of Pope Francis.

pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/11/25/no-clear-pope-francis-effect-among-u-s-catholics/

This seems to run counter to the claims of a “Pope Francis effect”.
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The United States is a Protestant nation. Due to our “anti-Catholic” culture, it’s going to be harder to notice an immediate “Pope Francis effect” here. On the other hand, nations like Italy, Spain, France, etc. all have “Catholic based” cultures. So you can expect a faster of “Pope Francis effect” there.

For example, when I say Catholic Culture, here in the US: we don’t often celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. In these other countries, they often celebrate some of the other days much more than we do (at least Three Kings’ Day).

BTW - the Pope did help energize me.
 
MJJean said:
Pope Francis is why my husband decided to become interested in catholic news and start researching and reading about his childhood faith again, which lead to going to Mass for the first time in over 20 years. Admiration for the Pope is one of the reasons he decided to revert and why I decided to convert, so it’s not just you 🙂
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Admiration is fine but Catholicism is more than who today’s Pope is. I’ve been through seven papacies and Catholicism is still the same.
 
I think it’d be interesting to examine media and press coverage of His Holiness and contrast it with coverage of Pope Emeritus Benedict XII.

I don’t think it’s so much the actions of the Pope, as it is the ‘cuddly’ media coverage which seems intent on showing a ‘rebirth’ of the Catholic Church and a changing of its values :rolleyes:
 
Good points.

Catholicism is more than who today’s Pope is or how he is perceived.
 
Johann_du_Toit said:
Look, he’s been Pope for less than a year now. I think it’s a bit unfair to ask his Holiness to fill the Churches to the brim overnight. Changing people’s hearts and reigniting the faith is something that unfortunately takes time.
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Correct. It also helps to start at the Parish level. You need a strong pro-active Parish Council willing to assist with ideas for recruitment and retention of the faithful.
 
Corki said:
The survey in the OP was of those who identified already as Catholic. It would be an interesting follow up survey to see if there is more of a “Pope Francis effect” among those who are not yet Catholic.
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Or the ‘effect’ on those who thought the Pope was going to change a teaching that they dissented to and now find that that is not going to happen.
 
MJJean said:
Pope Francis is why my husband decided to become interested in catholic news and start researching and reading about his childhood faith again, which lead to going to Mass for the first time in over 20 years. Admiration for the Pope is one of the reasons he decided to revert and why I decided to convert, so it’s not just you 🙂
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Really? Wow! Congratulations! :)👍:bounce::yup::clapping:
 
PietroPaolo said:
That squares well with the anecdotal evidence I’ve run into with lapsed Catholic friends and family. They “love” Francis, but I’ve yet to see one of them show up at Mass or decide to follow the Church’s moral teaching.

You’d think, after 50 yrs, we would have learned that being soft and cuddly isn’t the way to get people back in the Church. If it was the Anglicans would be doing much better than they are. Instead we see Muslim Fundamentalists on the rise and they are the least cuddly of any religion. Why are they doing so well? There’s probably several reasons, but that they take their religion seriously, as something important, might be the key.
Click to expand...
Muslim fundamentalists have not contracepted themselves into oblivion. Does this “clear effect” amongst U.S. take into account the size of a U.S. Catholic family?
 
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