Washington D.C., Feb 14, 2008 / 11:55 am
A poll commissioned by the USCCB Subcommittee on Marriage and the Family Life and conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has found that Catholics who attend Mass frequently are less likely to get divorced and are more likely to have large families, reports Lifesite News.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the chairman of the subcommittee summarized the poll’s findings, "Not surprisingly, the study paints a mixed picture. It gives us reasons to be grateful and hopeful. It also raises concerns and presents us with challenges.”
Kurtz noted one distressing point – the fact that Catholics “are just as likely as the overall population to obtain a divorce.”
However, the archbishop pointed out, Catholics who go to Mass frequently, and demonstrate a higher level of commitment to the faith, generally have lower rates of divorce and are more familiar with the Church's teachings on marriage. Those who rarely or never go to Mass are significantly more likely to obtain a divorce.