Photo by James A. McBride
Bishop Joseph A. Galante answers reporters’ questions during a press conference at the Camden Diocesan Center on Thursday, May 4, to present the findings of a study of religious attitudes among South Jersey residents.
CAMDEN — At a press conference here at the Camden Diocesan Center on Thursday, May 3, Bishop Joseph A. Galante called the findings of a recently commissioned survey on the faith community of South Jersey “troubling, but challenging,” and emphasized the importance of Sunday Mass and the need to provide Catholics with a better understanding of the fundamental doctrinal tenets of the faith.
Although he was reporting on survey findings, the bishop’s comments were more pastoral than administrative, and he sounded more like a preacher in a pulpit than a public figure taking reporter’s questions.
“One of the things we have to do is give people a better view of who Jesus is,” he said.
He noted that for the most part people have a clear idea about church teaching — for example, that the church opposes abortion — but have a poor understanding of church doctrine.
“We need to get back to teaching,” he said, at one point noting that the concept of mortal sin, for example, “got lost with a lot of other things, like eight-tracks.”
He pointed out, however, that “fear is not a teaching tool” and suggested that the teaching and companionship of the earliest Christian communities provided the best model to follow.
“It is a different world,” he said. “We can’t use 19th and early 20th century methods to bring people to church. We have to learn first century methods because they are still the best.”
“We must be more inviting.” he added. “We have to help people understand that (Jesus wants to) have a relationship of love and friendship”
Bishop Galante was the primary spokesperson at the press conference, but he was accompanied by chancery officials, and many diocesan department heads attended. The bishop said he would be working with them in the future on issues raised by the study.
The study, done for the diocese in February by the Barna Group, a California-based firm known for its work on U.S. religious attitudes, took an extensive look at the beliefs and practices of both Catholics and non-Catholics in the six counties in the Camden Diocese (Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem), and was “designed to help us understand the attitudes people have about their faith,” Bishop Galante said.
“The survey is a ‘no holds barred’ view of our community,” he added.
A total of 612 telephone interviews were completed among a representative sample of community residents, aged 18 or older. The cost was $25,000.
In addition to other questions, those surveyed were asked about their prayer lives, their belief or disbelief in God, and their attitudes toward the Catholic Church.
Focusing on certain findings of the study, Bishop Galante pointed out the fact that among those self-identified Catholics and Christians who have not attended church within the past six months, the reasons for non-attendance included not having enough time to attend or get involved in church (38 percent); having the day off and preferring to spend it doing other things (32 percent); having to work (either themselves or a family member) on Sundays (31 precent); or not having found a church they like despite visiting some churches (30 percent).
Responding to this, Bishop Galante said that he will ask schools and parishes to not schedule youth-oriented activities (such as sports) before 1 p.m. on Sundays, and encourage local businesses to work out agreements with employees, so their schedules allow them to attend weekend Masses.
“We need to emphasize that worship tiem is family time as well,” Bishop Galante said.
The bishop noted that the study found that nearly three out of every 10 residents (28 percent) believe that when Jesus lived on earth, he was human and committed sins. Among Catholics in the Camden Diocese, 33 percent agree strongly, and 24 percent agree somewhat, that Jesus sinned. Church teaching is that Jesus was both true God and true man.
In addition, only two-thirds of adults in the diocese (65 percent) hold an orthodox belief about God (i.e. that he is all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules today’s world), significantly lower than the United States average of 74 percent.
Contributing to this story was Carl Peters.
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