Attendance at Mass has fallen from 77% to 60% in past four years, survey on Catholic attitudes finds

The number of Catholics attending Sunday Mass has fallen significantly over the past four years, according to a new survey. It shows that only 60 per cent of Catholics in the Republic attend Mass weekly, compared to 77 per cent four years ago.

The equivalent figure in 1983 was 87 per cent and in 1973 91 per cent.

More than 50 per cent of people surveyed disagreed to varying extents on the church's attitude to divorce, contraception, priestly celibacy and women priests.

The survey also found that 40 per cent of Catholics rarely or never go to confession.

Reacting to the findings, broadcast by RTE's Primetime programme last night, Bishop Willie Walsh of Killaloe said that most priests had detected a visible decline in Mass attendance over the past five or six years. But he said Sunday Mass attendances of more than 60 per cent were "relatively high by international standards".

He noted as "quite interesting" the survey finding indicating that more than eight out of 10 people considered religion as important in their lives.

On child sex abuse scandals that have affected the church, including the Brendan Smyth affair, and the damage arising from the Bishop Eamonn Casey controversy, 73 per cent said they believed they "damaged the church's authority a lot". Less than one in 10 felt they had not damaged the church in Ireland.

A total of 60 per cent "totally agreed" with the decision of the President, Mrs McAleese, to receive Communion at a Church of Ireland service in Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral.

Asked if priests were in touch with local issues, 69 per cent of respondents said they were either totally in touch or somewhat in touch, while 72 per cent regarded the quality of their spiritual and community work as either very good or fairly good.

Among 1,000 adults surveyed (of which 922 were Catholics), however, 63 per cent said they would be "very happy" or "fairly happy" to see a member of their family becoming a priest.

Asked about the importance of different groups in the community, 53 per cent of Catholics questioned considered priests to be "very important", but doctors, gardai and teachers had a stronger rating under the same heading.