When Ireland Erases Its Catholic Inheritance

The findings of a recent survey commissioned by Ireland’s Iona Institute for Religion and Society have shed new light on attitudes there toward religion and the Catholic Church. The results are revealing. Sixty-one percent of respondents describe themselves as “religious and/or spiritual,” but only 16 percent are regular Mass-goers. (A higher number, 18 percent, have a positive view of astrology.) Half of adults pray, while three in ten meditate. But one finding stands out for its admirably brutal clarity. Participants in the survey were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement: “I would be happy if the Catholic Church disappeared from Ireland completely.” Twenty-five percent answered “agree.”