United States: Deeply Rooted Catholicism

This study, which examines the pervasiveness of the Catholic Faith in the United States, highlights the choice of the cardinal electors, who for the first time chose an American Pontiff as successor to Peter.

The election, on May 8, 2025, the feast of Mary Mediatrix, of the first American Pope in history has left many commentators speechless. Yet, the choice of the electors of the Sacred College owes nothing to chance, especially considering the growing ties that have united the Catholic Church and the United States in recent decades.

The image of a country once almost exclusively WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) has worn thin, according to the latest Pew Research Center (PRC) survey, which distinguishes four categories of Americans linked in one way or another to Catholicism:

– Self-proclaimed Catholics: 20% of U.S. adults declare themselves Catholic when asked their current religion.

– "Cultural" Catholics: 9% of those surveyed do not identify religiously as Catholic, but consider themselves so ethnically, culturally, or because of their family history.

– Former Catholics represent 9% of Americans: these are those who were raised in the Catholic Faith, but no longer identify as Catholic, either religiously or culturally.

– Finally, 9% of those surveyed are not, nor have ever been, Catholic, but have a Catholic parent or spouse. Among the 20% of American adults who identify as Catholic, levels of religious observance vary considerably. The survey distinguishes three groups based on three key practices: daily prayer, weekly Mass attendance, and annual confession.

– Deeply observant Catholics (13% of respondents self-identify as such): 50% pray daily, 28% attend Mass at least once a week, and 23% go to confession at least once a year. 13% say they do all three of these things. 

– Nonobservant Catholics (13%): These Catholics rarely, if ever, engage in these practices. For example, 22% seldom or never pray, 40% seldom or never attend Mass, and 47% never go to confession. 

– Moderately Observant Catholics (74%): A majority of Catholics fall into this category, practicing some of the above activities, but not all three, on a regular basis.

The large majority of American Catholics (71%) have a favorable opinion of their parish priests, compared to 4% who have an unfavorable opinion. Among weekly churchgoers, this rate reaches 95%. About half of weekly Mass attendees participate at least once a year in parish activities outside of Mass, such as prayer groups, Eucharistic adoration, or community meals, or as volunteers (for example, as ushers or lectors).

Converts to Catholicism represent 1.5% of American adults; they were not raised Catholic but identify as such. They are often more religiously active than "cradle Catholics." 38% of converts attend Mass at least once a week, compared to 28%, and 58% of converts receive Communion every time they attend Mass, compared to 34%. The primary reason for their conversion, for 49% of them, is related to a Catholic spouse.

Finally, 13% of American Catholics have assisted at a Mass in the traditional Roman Rite at least once in the last five years. This is yet another sign that is enough to show skeptics that the ancient liturgy has lost none of the vigor of its Gregorian youth.