The respondents had to answer the following question, “How often do you attend religious services these days, other than weddings, funerals, and baptisms?”
Newsroom (31/01/2023 9:19 PM, Gaudium Press) Georgetown University, based in the United States, has released a study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) that reveals the country in which there is the highest percentage of Catholics who attend Holy Mass on a regular basis.
The respondents from various countries who participated in this survey had to answer the question, “How often do you attend religious services these days, other than weddings, funerals, and baptisms?”
Nigeria Has Most Catholics Attending Mass
According to the survey, Nigeria is the country with the highest number of Catholics who attend Eucharistic celebrations regularly. 94% of Nigerian Catholics responded that they regularly attend Holy Mass.
Among the countries where there is the highest percentage of Catholics who attend Mass once a week or more are: Nigeria (94%), Kenya (73%), and Lebanon (69%). The next group of countries, where half or more of Catholics attend Mass every week: are the Philippines (56%), Colombia (54%), Poland (52%), and Ecuador (50%).
List of Countries with Average Holy Mass Attendance
Among the countries in which up to a third or more Catholics attend Mass every week are: Bosnia and Herzegovina (48%), Mexico (47%), Nicaragua (45%), Bolivia (42%), Slovakia (40%), Italy (34%) and Peru (33%).
Also according to the survey, the countries in which up to a quarter of Catholics attend the Eucharistic celebration regularly are: Venezuela (30%), Albania (29%), Spain (27%), Croatia (27%), New Zealand (25%), and the United Kingdom (25%).
Countries with Lowest Weekly Attendance Among Catholics
The list goes on: United States, Hungary and Slovenia (24%), Uruguay (23%), Australia and Argentina (21%), Portugal and the Czech Republic (20%), and Austria (17%). Finally, the countries with the lowest weekly attendance levels are: Lithuania (16%), Germany (14%), Canada (14%), Latvia (11%), Switzerland (11%), Brazil and France (8%), and the Netherlands (7%).
Despite the result, the researchers explain that the study was conducted in 36 nations with sizeable Catholic populations. However, despite the seriousness of the study, it was not done in every country in the world so the research is not definitive. (EPC)
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
