American Catholics overwhelmingly believe that their church should give more emphasis to poverty and less to abortion, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).
The margin was 29 percentage points!--60 to 31. Even 51% of those who attend every week favored more action on social justice, and this group is considered to be one of the more conservative cohorts.
This confirms yet again that American Catholics are "Vatican II Catholics." They largely support the vision and spirit of Vatican II. In one survey a few years ago, people were asked which, out of twelve statements, most accurately reflected their own personal belief and faith. The top two responses were (1) the resurrection of Christ, and (2) help for the poor.
Even the hierarchy is less hard-line conservative than a lot of people think. Yes, there are hard-liners among the bishops, but two-thirds of them are not in that category. One Catholic bishop once told me, "I'm a theological conservative and a social justice liberal." IMHO, he speaks for several more than just himself.
Most Roman Catholics also support legal recognition of gay unions--43% for marriage, 31% for civil unions--reported a survey also done by the Public Religion Research Institute last year. American Catholics were "at least 5 points more supportive than the general population across a range of gay and lesbian issues," said Robert Jones, chief executive at PRRI.
Younger Catholics, not surprisingly, are even more liberal in their attitudes. Latino Catholics also are generally supportive of gays: 45 percent favoring marriage and another 22 percent supporting civil unions. The support level in the latter two groups, in particular, ensures that the Roman Catholic church of the future--the church on the ground, not the one in the palace--will be even more accepting and supportive. May their tribe increase, and it will.
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