POLL: Strong Majority of Church-going Catholics Believe Public Officials Who Oppose Church Teachings Create Confusion and Disunity by CatholicVote
CatholicVote on June
15, 2021
POLL: Strong Majority of Church-going
Catholics Believe Public Officials Who Oppose Church Teachings Create Confusion
and Disunity
They Should Not
Present Themselves for Communion
“Catholic
politicians who advocate for policies considered ‘gravely immoral’ create
confusion and discord among believers.
Bishops have an
obligation to act.”
~ Brian Burch,
president of CatholicVote ~
Madison, WI –
Today, the national faith-based advocacy organization, CatholicVote, released a
national poll showing an overwhelming majority (83%) of Catholics who regularly
attend mass believe Catholic public officials who oppose church teaching create
confusion and disunity. The poll also showed that 74% of
mass-attending Catholics say these officials should not present themselves for
communion.
“Catholic
politicians who advocate for policies considered ‘gravely immoral’ create
confusion and discord among believers,” said Brian Burch, president of
CatholicVote. “Catholics’ concern about the flouting of Catholic social teaching
by public leaders is less about politics and more about the integrity of the
faith, along with reverence and respect due the Holy Eucharist. This
polling data should bolster the confidence of Catholic bishops as they prepare
to discuss how to recover an understanding of the beauty and richness of the
sacrament – among all Catholics. The data is very clear: Bishops
have an obligation to act.”
This national
poll comes just days before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’
Spring General Assembly where they are expected to discuss a proposal to create
a teaching document on “eucharistic coherence.” Part of that
discussion is expected to include whether Catholic politicians who support
abortion and other substantive policies contrary to Catholic teaching should
receive communion. It also comes as President Joe Biden, who openly advocates
for unlimited abortion at taxpayers’ expense, visits Pope Francis at the
Vatican. Seventy-two percent of Catholics in the pews surveyed agreed that this
discussion among the bishops should take place.
Other key
findings include:
·
91% were excited to go back to mass after churches
reopened.
·
·
88% believe it is important for Catholic bishops to teach and
lead others in matters of the faith, including those who are public officials
and other people in influential or powerful positions.
·
·
87% believe it is important for Catholic bishops to teach and
lead others in matters of the faith, including those who may disagree with the
Church on fundamental issues.
·
·
82% believe public officials who identify as Catholic but openly
advocate for policies hostile to Church teaching are hypocritical.
·
You can view
the poll here: https://catholicvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CatholicVote-Mass-Attendee-Public-Poll-06-2021.pdf
CatholicVote.org is
a national faith-based advocacy organization, organized by faithful Catholic
laity in full communion with the teachings of the Church, yet does not claim to
speak for any individual bishop or the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops.