The percentage of sermons about abortion is in the single digits, according to a Pew Research Centre study, the results of which were released April 29.

Even a mention of abortion in a sermon is rare, according to the study.

Pew analysed nearly 50,000 sermons shared online or live-streamed by more than 6,000 U.S. churches and delivered between April 7 and June 1, 2019, a time frame that included Easter.

Five percent of Catholic homilies analysed during the study period mentioned abortion, which topped the national average of 4%. Other Christians were grouped into “mainline Protestant,” “evangelical Protestant” and “historically black Protestant.”

Nineteen percent of Catholic congregations heard abortion mentioned in at least one sermon during the study period, which matched the national average. Evangelicals led the way with 22%, with mainline Protestants trailing at 10%.

The percentage of Catholics hearing about abortion may be surprising, according to Dennis Quinn, the lead researcher for the study. The media length of Catholic homilies was 14 minutes — but 37 minutes for all sermons, with black Protestants topping out at 54 minutes.

Moreover, the study found, abortion is more likely to be mentioned in sermons to smaller congregations. Catholic Masses tend to draw sizable congregations. Pew found 23% of smaller Catholic congregations — 200 or less — hearing an abortion reference in a sermon, compared to 18% of a larger assembly.

Catholic clergy used “abortion,” which was also used by their evangelical and black counterparts — but, incredibly, did not make the mainline Protestant list of words.

Seminaries must hire, involve more women, Cardinal Ouellet says
For some priests and seminarians, “women represent danger, but in reality, the true danger are those men who do not have a balanced relationship with women,” said Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. The cardinal was interviewed about the role of women in seminaries and seminary formation for the May issue of the women’s supplement to the Vatican newspaper; the interview was published April 24 by Vatican News. Asked if a lack of women involved in priestly formation programs is to blame for the discomfort women and priests can experience in each other’s company, the cardinal said, “the problem is probably deeper” than that and begins with how women are treated in one’s family.