Irish analytics and data company Amárach recently conducted a survey that found only about 14% of Irish Catholics regularly atte-nd Sunday Mass. Before Ireland’s bishops went along with the government’s draconian COVID lockdowns and church closures, only 24% of Ireland’s population attended weekly Mass. And only 59% of that 24% has return-ed, yielding an abysmal 14% Mass-attendance rate.
The Amárach survey also found that among those who used to attend Mass but no longer do, nearly one-third (31%) said their faith simply “isn’t as strong” as it used to be. Additionally, only 28.5% of respondents expressed satisfaction with Pope Francis’ leadership, while only 16.5% said they believe Satan exists. A staggering 39.5% said they believe Ireland has “lost her soul.”
Although shocking, these aren’t the only worrying numbers in Ireland. There are currently only 56 seminarians studying to serve the faithful of the Emerald Isle, and a survey last year revealed that the majority of Irish priests are elderly, with 15% still working past the typical retirement age of 75. In addition, Islam is on the rise, threatening to replace the native Catholic population.
The numbers from Amárach indicate the Catholic Faith in Ireland is waning. Father Jim Murray, parish priest at St. John’s church in County Sligo, told Church Militant:
As a country, we now have a generation of people who no longer practice their faith except at baptisms, weddings and funerals. During the pandemic, people lost the habit of attending Mass on a weekly basis – combined with the widespread introduction of web cams in churches. For many, it is easier to sit at home and watch the Mass on the television or iPad. The difference is that now those who are going to Church are making a conscious decision and choice.