The Traditional Latin Mass Catholic Survey-What Traditional Catholics Believe
From Rorate Caeli
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/02/lex-orandi-lex-credendi-traditional.html#moreLex Orandi Lex Credendi - The Traditional Latin Mass Catholic Survey - what Traditional Catholics believe
by Fr. Donald Kloster
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
Contributors:
Sha Balizet Fisher, PhD (Statistics consulting) - Mr. Brian Williams
liturgyguy.com (Consultant) Mrs. Christine Boyle (Webmaster)
Introduction
Through more than twenty years of offering both the Novus Ordo Mass (NOM) and the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), this writer has observed variations between the people attending the two different Masses within the Roman Rite. American Catholics attending the NOM have been surveyed repeatedly in terms of their beliefs and practices (Pew Research and Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate or Georgetown University's CARA).
Yet, the body of research does not appear to include a description of Catholics who attend the TLM. These Catholics attend at least 489 Sunday Masses nationwide (latinmassdir.org 2019). On any given Sunday, an estimated 100,000 Catholics (on average over 200 faithful per Mass and/or parish) in the United States of America worship according to the ancient Mass that, prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), was offered in Latin for more than 1900 years. The quickly growing number of TLM only parishes permits survey research going beyond one individual's observations. The objective of this pilot study was to measure the fruit of the two Masses, by directly comparing the TLM and NOM attendees' responses to the same questions.
Method
The survey consisted of seven questions on the beliefs and attitudes of the respondents. The surveys conducted were anonymous and had unique responses. In pew surveys were administered to 1251-1322 responders according to the given question. The same survey, administered online, received 451 responses.
In Pew Survey Respondents
Arizona, California, Colorado, New Hampshire, Texas
Online Survey Respondents
Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
The TLM Survey was conducted to parallel questions posed in previous research, allowing a direct comparison between the TLM attendees and those of the NOM. These were the topics:
1. Approval of contraception
2. Approval of abortion
3. Weekly Mass attendance
4. Approval of same sex marriage
5. Percentage of income donated
6. Annual Confession among weekly Mass attendees
7. Fertility Rate
Results
Survey Question TLM TLM samples NOM Data Source
1. Approve contraception 2% 1,773 89% Pew Research 2016 (Sept 28)
2. Approve abortion 1% 1,769 51% Pew Research 2018 (Oct 15)
3. Weekly Mass attendance 99% 1,763 22% CARA 2017 (Apr 11, 2018)
4. Approve gαy marriage 2% 1,759 67% Daily Wire (July 2, 2017)
5. Income % donated 6% 1,702 1.2% Catholicphilly.com (May 17, 2013)
Protestants 2.5% Relevant Magazine (March 8, 2016)
All Christians during the Great Depression 3.3% Relevant Magazine (March 8, 2016)
6. Annual Confession
and Weekly Mass 98% 1,753 25% CARA 2014 (Feb 16)
7. Fertility Rate 6.0 1,085* 2.3 Pew Research 2015 (May 12)
*This question was directed to women only.
Analysis
Modern society, by popular belief, is the cause of decreasing sacramental participation in the Catholic Church. However, the present survey, compared with other data, reveals a striking variance between Catholics attending the TLM versus those who attend the NOM. These differences are noticeably evident when comparing beliefs, church attendance, monetary generosity, and fertility rates.