Three in four American Catholics abandon faith or stop attending Mass
Research reveals that 75% of Americans raised Catholic have abandoned the faith or rarely attend Mass. In Canada, Catholic identity persists, but religious practice has plummeted since the 1990s.
TL;DR
- Approximately 75% of Americans raised Catholic no longer practice the faith or rarely attend Mass.
- Canadian Catholics maintain their identity more than Americans, but religious practice has declined since the 1990s, especially in Quebec.
- In Canada, Catholic identity is often cultural, linked to family heritage and regional identity, rather than active religious practice.
- Many Canadian Catholics do not agree with the Church's policies and are disengaged from the institution.
- Factors contributing to the decline include parents not raising children in the faith and insufficient youth ministry programs in parishes.
- The decline in Catholic practice is happening despite immigration potentially bolstering numbers, as immigration rates are being limited and birth rates are low.