| Viewing Single Post From: Fasting & Abstenance | |
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| KatyA | Saturday, 15. March 2008, 00:28 |
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There's quite a bit to plough through here, but it makes interesting reading. Apparently young people are showing the way when it comes to observing Lent Mass-attending young adult Catholics most likely to observe Lenten practices Washington, D.C. -- For more than 30 million U.S. adults this week, meat will not be on the menu Friday. Six in ten adult Catholics say they abstain from meat on Lenten Fridays according to a survey conducted in February by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. The survey looked at differences among sub-groups of respondents by gender, education, ethnicity, Mass attendance, and generation in terms of Lenten practices. The CARA survey also found that slightly less than half of adult Catholics (45 percent) typically receive ashes at Ash Wednesday services. A similar proportion say they try to do something positive (as opposed to giving something up) during Lent. Among Catholics who attend Mass at least once a month, those of the Millennial Generation (born 1982 or later) are the most likely to observe Lenten practices. More than nine in ten of these Catholics report that they abstain from meat on Fridays and receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. About three-quarters of these young adult Catholics also give up something during Lent. A similar percentage makes other positive efforts. “These results suggest that there really is something exceptional about the youngest generation of Catholics who are active in their faith,” said Mark M. Gray, Director of CARA Catholic Polls (CCP). “In terms of Lenten practices, young adult Catholics who are attending Mass at least once a month are more likely to observe the Church’s obligations and traditions—more so than their parents and grandparents.” The study also found that Catholic women are somewhat more likely than Catholic men to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent (65 compared to 55 percent). They are also more likely to receive ashes at Ash Wednesday services (50 compared to 38 percent) and to do something positive for Lent (51 compared to 36 percent). The more highly educated the respondent, the more likely he or she is to give something up for Lent and to make an extra effort to do something positive. Fifty-three percent of Catholics with a post-graduate degree give up something for Lent. This compares to 41 percent of those with a Bachelor’s degree, 38 percent of those with some college or an Associate’s degree, and 34 of those with a high school degree or less. Hispanic Catholics are slightly more likely than non-Hispanic Catholics to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday (50 compared to 43 percent). Catholics who attend Mass less than weekly—but at least once a month—are only slightly less likely than weekly attenders to observe Lenten practices. Those who attend Mass a few times a year or less are least likely to observe Lenten practices. However, four in ten of these Catholics do say they abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. The obligation to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent is only mandatory for Catholics ages 14 and older and the Lenten obligation to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are only mandatory for Catholics ages 18 to 59. The CARA survey sampled 1,007 randomly-selected, self-identified adult Catholics (age 18 or older) in the United States conducted from February 1 to February 20, 2008. CARA Press Release KatyA |
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| Fasting & Abstenance · LENT, HOLY WEEK & EASTER | |
4:01 AM Nov 25