Study finds Catholics who attend Mass are less likely to divorce or have marital separation

WASHINGTON DC, February 15, 2008--A recent poll has found that catholics who attend Mass frequently are less likely to get divorced and are more likely to have large families.

Summarizing the poll commissioned by the USCCB Subcommittee on Marriage and Family Life, and conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz said the poll's findings are "not surprising", adding that the study paints a mixed picture, as "it gives us reasons to be grateful and hopeful. It also raises concerns and presents us with challenges".

Kurtz, however, noted one distressing point – the fact that catholics "are just as likely as the overall population to obtain a divorce". But stressing on the poll's findings, Kurtz pointed out that catholics who go to Mass frequently and demonstrate a higher level of commitment to their 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.

"The study showed that only two-thirds of married catholics have been married in the Church, and twenty-three percent of adult catholics have gone through a divorce. Eleven percent of catholics are divorced and remarried or are living with someone else, though the Church strictly opposes this practice", he said. There were also significant differences in terms of the age of the respondents, with younger catholics generally demonstrating a lesser knowledge of catholic teaching, and a smaller degree of commitment to their faith; older catholics, especially those who came of age prior to Vatican II, are typically more involved in Church life and more frequently attend Mass than younger generations of catholics, stated the executive summary.

However, the study found that agreement with catholic teaching is highest amongst older (born before 1943) and the much younger (born after 1981) catholics, with the least agreement with Church teachings found in the middle generation.

In conclusion, Archbishop Kurtz said that the poll has given the Catholic Church an idea of which teachings are least understood. This new research on catholics and marriage confronts us with a sense both of urgency and opportunity. It identifies strengths and accomplishments on which we are eager to build. It shines a light on challenges and difficulties which we must address.

Back to my manger

Since thursday, feb. 14, exactly on Valentine's Day (of all dates hmmm...) I was already feeling rather fidgety - agitative, uneasy. Many times, this feeling comes as a kind of warning signal that in the days to come, if I don't take precautions, I'll be spending my days (and body aches) in bed. Indeed up to now, as in the past, I'm rolling myself up many times from bed to wipe my nose with a never-ending flow of cheece whiz- like mucuous, and dry coughing. Sometimes, I would feel a burning sensation in my chest when I cough - I hope it's not viral flu... again!... well, I'm convinced it's the weather...uh huh... probably more of a sinister curse than a blessing... I could hear several fathers coughing (could even hear them loud on the hallways...) No wonder weeks before, whenever I pass by the info, the guards would always ask me to approve requisitions for medicines and vitamins for the friars, oh... And not knowing that I too would in the end be one of them...yikes!

 

Yesterday, friday, I was struggling from my heavy colds and coughs. I was wondering if I could "pass" an appointment (actually it should have been yesterday pa...) to celebrate a funeral mass for the late father of Maam Emilie Samala at Floresco Funeral Homes in front of, or I should say, by the side of the Kalookan City Hall. Luckily I was able to secure the echo and Joel, one of the convent drivers and convinced him to take me to the place after lunch. Before that, I made sure I'll be rested with ibufropen (with alaxan) paracetamol tablets not forgetting my daily dosage of vitamins. Finally, after sometime "strengthening" myself that I could do it, we went there, I in the habit and bringing the mass kit along. We didn't have a hard time traveling since there was little traffic (surprisingly - mabait talaga ang Diyos!) and arrived at the parlor ahead of the faculty members of the UST AMV College of Accountancy. Upon arrival, Emelie and her mom greeted me and a young man helped me set up the altar for the mass. In the meantime, Emelie already noticed that my voice was coarse and I looked haggard. I told her I was not feeling well and having some body pains, and she gave me a biogesic tablet and some water. The mass went well, and I realized I was perspiring probably due to the biogesic tablet, and I felt better afterwards. After the mass and spending some time conversing with emelie's mom and the other faculty members, I went back to ust ahead of the others, by this time they already knew that I was not feeling well. And upon entering my room at the fathers' residence... yan na... full blown na yung flu.

 

Today, saturday, we'll be celebrating the UST Grand Alumni Homecoming early evening with a mass at the Benavides Plaza. But alas - paano 'to?... nasa bed pa ako, my voice seems to come from a long tunnel... with coughs and heavy colds pa rin... tsk tsk tsk... siguro naman excused na nila ako, noh... baka may epidemic na kami dito sa fathers' residence, hmmm.... ay naku.. kailangan na yung fumigation.... kailan kaya yon?