Census 2022: 10% reduction in Roman Catholic numbers

It’s a self-identifying question, not an exam.

Got me wondering now is there need for a ‘Salty AF’ option 🤔

Well that's not true.

I do not identify as a Catholic, but the Church would identify ME as a catholic.

A Catholic by definition participates in worship and must attend mass unless you've a good reason not to, such as being ill or doing charitable works. You also have to observe the sacraments, have confession, observe fasts and abstinences, observe the rules around marriage, and a good bit more. My gran and grandad are Catholic.

Some people in Ireland are Lapsed Catholics, where they did this once upon a time, but don't anymore. My mother and father are lapsed Catholics.

Now, the majority, myself included, are cultural Catholics, where your mammy made you go to mass. You got baptised because the school wouldn't take you if you weren't, you got Communion and Confirmation because the rest of your class were doing it, and it was a good way to get money.

But, the only proper way to leave the Catholic Church is either never get baptised in the first place, or get excommunicated.

Really, the census should be worded to include the word "practicing".

I agree with that but clearly a lot of people don't. If there were 3.5m practicing Catholics the catholic churches all over the country wouldn't be empty each Sunday.

For whatever reason a lot of people who don't practice are unwilling to take that step and check that "No Religion" box. Perhaps it's guilt. Perhaps it's self delusion. Perhaps it is superstition. Who knows?

It would be very interesting to see an age breakdown of each category.

it would also be interesting to see a breakdown by country of origin. (I don't think we get a lot of No Religion immigrants)

It’s a far higher figure of Catholics than the Dublin media would have us believe and didn’t drop all that much considering all the church bashing on Irish times / indo etc . From my visits to my local church plenty of Poles , far east Asia & Nigerians Catholics as well that have moved to this country .

Ireland still has one of the highest Catholic population percentages in Europe .

Dublin is the lowest Catholic county at 53% of the population but many counties in the 70 plus % bracket with Mayo highest at 80% . A lot of people may only go to mass now and again but still associate as Catholic .

It's all down to political cowardice and a small but very vocal conservative Catholic lobby. Plus the fact that most politicians went to religious order schools, some of them very exclusive ones.

The majority of parents want non-religious schools, survey after survey has shown this for years.

Using a box-tick from a pensioner in, say, Donegal to attempt to justify what type of school gets built in, say, Cork is completely mad, but that's what this box-ticking exercise for the whole population is doing.

Recently there was a count done at weekend masses . I’d guess it’s to do with lack of priests going forward and cutting back on masses where attendances are lowest .

In our town of 2000 people there was an average of 415 attending the 3 masses at the weekend over a months figures which gives you circa 21/22%. .

I’d say half of those going go every week circa 200 but of the other half there seemed to be some who go every second week or once a month or other hap hazard attendance but you could have had 30/35 % who were there at least once a month . The numbers were higher than expected but for many it’s a chance to meet a few , getaway from it all for an hour , say a few quite prayers , maybe offload their worries by lighting a candle etc .

Given that in other countries, people are queueing up to send their children to Catholic schools, why would we want to "get the church out of schools"?

The majority of parents are happy that churches own and run some schools.

What is the alternative patronage model? The ETB to own and run every school? A State monopoly of ETB schools?

I suspect that if churches are not allowed to own schools, then neither could ET?

Others will multiply in a few short years, Catholics will be a small minority in this country

According to who? Because in the church's eyes once a Catholic always a Catholic, they don't do excommunications

Forget about patronage altogether: education is a right, not something to be granted or denied by vested interest groups who style themselves as "patrons".

The Department of Education owning and managing every school in the country would be the ideal. Simpler to administrate, less opportunity for the indoctrination of children by adherants to ancient middle-eastern superstitions or the modern American equivalents like Scientology etc.

It would also afford an amazing opportunity to level the playing field for children no matter what geographical region or socio-economic background their neighbourhood etc.

Disagree. Even if you just do Xmas and the other right if passage rituals, that to me says you subscribe to a religion. Wether you believe it or not. Many say they do religion to help kids with a code of morality. So they are in a sense catholic. Very few people are atheist and not apart if some kind of religious rituals.