WASHINGTON, D.C., FEB. 18, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Seven in 10 U.S. Catholics describe themselves as at least "somewhat familiar" with Church teaching on marriage, and about one-third say they are "very familiar."
This is one of the statistics provided by a survey from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, and released by the U.S. bishops last week.
In a statement responding to the research, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, chairman of the bishops' Subcommittee on Marriage and Family Life, said the findings paint "a mixed picture" and that "it gives us reasons to be grateful and hopeful. It also raises concerns and presents us with challenges."
According to the survey, 70% of currently married Catholics in the United States were either married in the Church or had their marriage blessed. A slight majority of Catholics (55%) say their views about marriage have been at least "somewhat" informed by Church teaching.
Explaining the findings, Archbishop Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, said it is necessary to make a distinction between those Catholics who attend weekly Mass, and those who do not. "Those who attend Mass weekly are more likely than those who attend less frequently to be currently married, to have a Catholic spouse, to say they are very familiar with Catholic teaching on marriage, and to have views about marriage that are informed by their faith and consistent with Church teaching."
Generations
The study found that the current marital status of Catholics is often related to the marital status of their parents. Married Catholics are more likely than those who are separated or divorced and those living with a partner to say their parents are (or were before death) married to each other.
"This shows the power communicated by a positive example of fidelity," Archbishop Kurtz affirmed. "Another finding, on which we can build, is that two-thirds of Catholics say their view of marriage is informed by their family background and experience. The next generation of young Catholics is being influenced strongly by the marriages of their parents today. Will the influence be positive or negative? This is a key question."
Catholics are very similar to the U.S. population as a whole in terms of the demography of marriage, such as marital status, age at first marriage, and having been divorced.
Twenty-three percent of adult Catholics have gone through a divorce; 12% are currently divorced and 11% are currently remarried, living with a partner, or widowed but have been through a divorce in the past.
Archbishop Kurtz also noted that the survey showed preparation the Church offers to engaged couples is helping marriages, but that Catholic couples do not consistently turn to the Church for help with struggles during marriage.
"We must find ways to offer couples a more integrated, continuous and varied ministry that will help them to grow in happiness and holiness through the entire lifecycle of a marriage," he said.
The survey, conducted in June 2007, interviewed more than 1,000 self-proclaimed Catholics, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The survey is part of the U.S. bishops' National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage and was funded by the Knights of Columbus.
