Signs & numbers
Steinfels, Peter
Signs & numbers On April 21-23.1994, a New York Times/CBS News poll queried a national sample of Americans by telephone. About thirty-five questions were asked specifically to those responding...
...Undoubtedly further polling with some variations on the wording would be valuable...
...like the formulation in the old Baltimore Catechism...
...Did all Catholics in, say, 1930 or 1950 really grasp Catholic teaching on transubstantiation'.' No one knows...
...Among Catholics aged 18-45 who attend Mass weekly or almost weekly: Body and blood: 34...
...Among Catholics betwen ages 18 and 29: Body and blood: 29...
...Considerable thought went into the wording of the question...
...Among Catholics who reported going to Mass every week or almost every week (50% of the Catholics polled): Body and blood: 44...
...A question about the Eucharist was included because previous polling had given little attention to matters of worship and spiritual life...
...The actual question asked on the phone was: "Which of the following conies closest to what you believe takes place at Mass: (1) The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, or (2) The bread and wine are symbolic reminders of Christ...
...Among Catholics aged 65 and older: Body and blood: 51 %. Symbolic reminders: 45...
...Would the result have been different if the first choice had included "under the appearances of bread and wine...
...PETER STEINFELS Peter Steinfeis is senior religion correspondent for tlie New York Times.e New York Times...
...Unlike most other opinions recorded in the poll (on sexual morality, ordination of women, etc...
...Still, given practices such as fasting from midnight, First Communion preparations, and Benediction, could general belief have been anything like the recent findings...
...The goal was not to spell out exact theological understandings of the Mass hut simply to identify the general direction of Catholics' belief by posing distinct alternatives that would be brief and clear over the telephone...
...Symbolic reminders: 63...
...Another point for reflection: there is no empirical baseline against which these findings can be compared...
...the responses concerning the Eucharist were new and striking...
...Symbolic reminders: 70...
...The results for all self-identified Catholics were: Body and blood: 34% Symbolic reminders: 63...
...About thirty-five questions were asked specifically to those responding that their religious preference was Catholic...
...At least some Catholics, despite pious devotional lives, may have been hazier about the Eucharist than commonly supposed...
...Symbolic reminders: 51...
Vol. 122 • January 1995 • No. 2
