Catholics Support Religion, Not Always Church, by Bart Jones, Newsday, April 5, 2008

Catholics Support Religion, Not Always Church

By Bart Jones
Newsday
April 5, 2008

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lipope0406,0,114791.story

As Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York and Washington, D.C., approaches, a Newsday poll has found that Long Island Catholics view religion and prayer as critical parts of their lives, though they may dissent from church stances on major issues such as allowing priests to marry or the ordination of women.

The poll, conducted in late March, also found that Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre has dramatically improved his standing among Catholics compared with five years ago, when Newsday last commissioned an opinion survey on Catholicism and faith on Long Island. At that time, Murphy had just arrived as bishop to a diocese freshly roiling with the priest sex abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI is preparing to visit New York, where on Long Island, a Newsday poll reveals that several Catholics remain deeply religious, but they disagree with the church on several major issues.
Photo by Plinio Lepri

In a world that many observers have deemed increasingly secular, the poll nonetheless found that an overwhelming 83 percent of Long Islanders say religion is "very important" or "fairly important" in their lives, while 48 percent pray once a day or even several times a day.

A spiritual quest

"People are hungry for the spiritual. They're hungry to give meaning to their lives," said the Rev. Patrick Bonner, chaplain at Molloy College in Rockville Centre.

Long Island is home to 1.4 million Catholics, just over half the population of Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to an estimate provided by the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Some 52 percent of poll respondents identified themselves as Catholic. Among the survey's findings:

Most Catholics do not feel the church handled the sex abuse scandal well or is adequately addressing the loss of young people to the faith.

Catholics still look to the church for moral guidance, but less so than they did in 1995. Conversely, the church's time-honored sacraments, including baptism and confession, are more important than when the previous poll was conducted.

Most Catholics would not want their children to be a priest or nun.

Despite mixed feelings about some aspects of their church, many respondents underscored the overriding theme that faith occupies a central role in their lives. They pray. They attend services. They mark life's transitions with religious ritual. Religion "is truly my core being," said Josie Schmidt, of Bethpage, a catechism teacher at St. Martin of Tours in Bethpage. "I pray every day, more than once a day. It affirms me as a whole, it affirms my soul and I definitely endured some pretty rough roads."

The survey found Benedict XVI's visit -- his first to the United States since his election to the papacy three years ago -- is sparking excitement, but not as much as Pope John Paul II's visit in 1995, according to a poll conducted then by Newsday.

Some 58 percent of respondents were "very interested" or "mildly interested" in the April 15-20 visit, compared with 66 percent for John Paul II's visit.

"I think it is nice that he is coming," said respondent Lynn Cooney, 38, a parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua in East Northport. "I think it is nice that he's reaching out to the global community."

But college student Shannon Lavin, 22, a Catholic from Wantagh, was less enthused. "I don't have too much of an interest in it. It doesn't bother me, but it doesn't excite me either. I won't go to see him."

Tough act to follow

Church experts said it was not surprising that Benedict XVI is not provoking the same buzz as his predecessor, ahistorical figure whom church volunteer Edward Thompson Sr. of Farmingdale called a "master actor" in the positive sense.

"He was good on his feet. He was good whipping up the crowd, especially young people," Thompson said.

The Rev. Gerard Gordon, chaplain at St. Anthony's High School, noted that Benedict XVI is relatively new at the job and less known. John Paul II, by contrast, pulled in crowds unlike anyone in history, including 7 million people at a Mass in the Philippines.

"There's not a rock star on the planet that could pull that number of young people together," Gordon said.

The poll also found Long Island Catholics still consider "moral guidance" the most meaningful aspect of their faith, though it declined from 48 percent in 1995 to 38 percent.

It was followed by the sacraments, which 33 percent said was the most meaningful aspect, up from 27 percent in 1995. Other areas lagged far behind: church teachings on social issues (5 percent), closeness with other parishioners (7 percent) and spiritual example of priest and nuns (5 percent).

Carol Bruno, 65, of Levittown, said the sacraments were most important to her. "I was originally born in the Bronx. I was born a Catholic and a Yankee fan. It is important to see children baptized, make their first Holy Communion, receive confirmation, get married."

Church experts offered different interpretations of the results. Bonner of Molloy College said the relatively high rankings of moral guidance and the sacraments showed that "we must be doing something right."

He added, "If people don't get moral guidance from their spiritual leaders where are they going to get it?"

Scandal's lasting effects

But others said Catholics' devaluation of moral guidance as a critical aspect of their faith showed that the sex abuse crisis had exacted a lingering toll. Paul Tonna, former presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature and an adjunct professor of theology at St. John's University, said: "You can't put your head in the sand and say this didn't have an effect on the faithful."

Others were concerned by a perceived de-emphasis on social teachings: What about injustice and helping the poor? "It's very rare to go to a church and hear a strong sermon on social teaching," said former priest James Claffey, now a community organizer in Syosset.

"I have a major problem with most of the homilies I hear in Long Island churches," he said. "They don't spend nearly enough time on social teaching. I think the priests are afraid of it. I think priests are afraid to alienate some of the rich people in their congregations."

Despite many Catholics' assertion that religion plays an important role in their lives and that they are generally happy with their religion, the poll found a majority diverges from the church's stance on issues.

Some 69 percent think priests should be allowed to marry, 71 percent think women should be allowed to be priests and 77 percent think laypeople should play a greater role in the church.

Claffey, formerly a Vincentian priest for 25 years who is now married, said the results on allowing priests to wed show that "people have been really sensitized. I think people have seen some very good guys go" because of the celibacy requirement. "I'd still be a priest if I could keep my wife," Claffey added. "That's what I'm best trained for and what I best do."

But Bonner said keeping priests single allows them to fully devote themselves to their vocation. "Even if I only did half of what I do and I was married with children I don't think I could give even 50 percent of the effort I give at the moment. From a practical point of view ... it would be unfair to a wife and to children."

As the debates play out in the survey, it also found that most Long Island residents, no matter their faith, attend religious services once a month -- 57 percent. The rate is higher among Catholics -- 64 percent. And about 40 percent of those attend Mass weekly. Cooney, of East Northport, said she and her family are regular attendees. Going to Mass is "being part of the community," she said. "It makes you feel connected."