New polling conducted by Amarach research has shown that the majority of people in Ireland (61 per cent) describe themselves as religious and/or spiritual. 1 in 2 adults pray, 3 in 10 meditate: while 23 per cent of 18-24s follow influencers on social media sharing content of a religious or spiritual nature, according to the poll commissioned by Christian advocacy group, The Iona Institute.
More than twice as many people have a positive as distinct from a negative attitude towards Christianity, according to the poll of 1,000 respondents. Whilst attitudes towards the Catholic Church in Ireland are less favourable than towards Christianity in general according to the responses, almost half (45 per cent) agree that Catholic teachings are still of benefit to society. Half of respondents to the poll said they have a positive view of Christianity with a fifth of people saying they have a negative view, with the rest in between.
But only 27 per cent of people expressed a favourable view of the Catholic Church overall, with 40 per cent saying they have an unfavourable view.
This may reflect a more negative attitude towards the Catholic Church as an institution rather than Catholicism per se because 45pc agree that Catholic teachings are still of benefit to society with 32pc disagreeing, according to the Iona Institute.
The Iona Institute said that the “major” polling revealed that the Irish public are “split down the middle” in attitudes towards the Catholic Church, describing the response as “deeply divided”. It highlighted findings, including that the public are very evenly divided in their attitudes towards priests and nuns with almost exactly a third in each case viewing them positively, a third negatively, with the rest neutral.
One in four people said that they would be happy if the Catholic Church “vanished” from Irish society completely, with 51 per cent disagreeing with the statement, and the rest neutral.
The organisation said that while perceptions of the Catholic Church remain negative on balance, especially among younger generations, nevertheless religious identity and spiritual orientation remain important for the vast majority of Irish people.
“Despite the legacy of the clerical abuse scandals, most people agree Catholic teachings and the Church itself remain relevant and important to the wider sense of Irish identity and as a source of values and guidance for the future.”
The group also said that the research pointed to “the rich variety of spiritual and religious practices in Ireland: some of them quite traditional, others very new (e.g.: ‘FaithTok’).”
Further, the poll showed that the public are overestimating the number of priests guilty of child abuse by around four to one.
While the Iona Institute admitted that there are key challenges facing the Irish Catholic Church, there are also trends and preferences in the survey that point to possible future priorities. This includes an “obvious hunger” for spiritual insights and practices, with 18-24s (‘Gen Z’), for example, revealing a more open, more curious take on religion and spirituality than some older age groups.
“Much of what Catholic and other Christian believers affirm (however imperfectly) remains relevant, helpful and inspiring for most people in Ireland, even for many non-believers and non-Catholics.
“Christianity in general – and Catholicism in particular – remains a powerful source of individual and collective identity for many Irish people, one that will continue to resonate with younger and future generations as Ireland navigates the many challenges ahead,” the polling concluded.
Commenting on the results, Breda O’Brien, a spokesperson for The Iona Institute said: “In a way it is not surprising that public attitudes towards the Catholic Church are so divided and that there is considerable negativity, especially in view of all the scandals which are still fresh in the public mind.
“It’s good to see that many people are less negative about the teachings of the Catholic Church than they are towards the institution.”
She added: “It’s interesting that older people, who are most familiar with priests and nuns are the least negative in their attitudes. Many young people never meet priests or nuns and their whole image is shaped by the scandals or by negative portrayals in the movies or in documentaries.
“But the vast majority of priests and nuns do good work in their parishes or in the wider community, and hopefully over time those who view priests and religious negatively will come to a more rounded view, and this will eventually be reflected in dramas and documentaries as well”.
She concluded: “We hear a lot from those who are most negative. Maybe it’s time that those who are more positive find their voice and are given space to express themselves as well.”