… Over the last two decades America has been fencing with the issue of how we as a society should interact with our gay and lesbian fellow citizens. Well, we’ve actually been fencing with it for a heck of a lot longer than that, but there is a good chunk […] Read more »
American Catholics approve of new pope
American Catholics are very enthusiastic about the choice of Pope Francis to head the Roman Catholic Church, according to a new national survey. But a CNN/ORC International survey also indicates that you shouldn’t expect them to pay any more attention to the new pope’s teachings on issues like birth control […] Read more »
Catholic schism
With the resignation of Pope Benedict and election of a new pope, amidst what seems an unending turmoil over sex abuse by priests, pollsters have understandably thought this a good moment to inquire about American Catholics’ attitudes on religious matters. The results describe a major disconnection between the Roman Catholic […] Read more »
‘Strong’ Catholic Identity at a Four-Decade Low in U.S.
The percentage of U.S. Catholics who consider themselves “strong” members of the Roman Catholic Church has never been lower than it was in 2012, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of new data from the General Social Survey. … The decline among U.S. Catholics is even starker when they […] Read more »
Election of a Pope Tests Betting Markets
Intrade may have shut down, but the election of a pope still offers a good chance to study the predictive value of betting odds. … There are no polls of the 115 cardinals who will be making the decision – at least no public polls – and no are other […] Read more »
On Eve of Conclave, Record Criticism of Church For its Handling of Sexual Abuse Scandals
A record number of American Catholics disapprove of the church’s handling of its sexual abuse scandals, underscoring the challenges facing the next pope as he seeks to restore confidence and trust in the church’s leadership. More broadly, Catholics in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the church, while relevant, […] Read more »