Vast Majority of U.S. Catholics Who Left the Church Can’t Imagine Returning, Study Says
Abby Ohlheiser at The Washington Post writes, “Seventy-seven percent of those who were raised Catholic but no longer identify with the religion said they could not envision themselves eventually returning to the church,” according to a Pew Research Center survey. However, the same survey shows that “while the percentage of Americans who may identify their religion is Catholicism is dropping, a much larger group of Americans identify as Catholic in some way.” The results paint a picture of the current state of U.S. Catholicism, setting the stage for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit.