Fewer than one in five Catholics in Dublin attend mass every Sunday

Many young people, like many older people, find the Mass predictable and uninspiring. They take Matthew 6 at his word when Jesus tells us how to pray. "Do not be like the hypocrites who stand in the public houses of prayer repeating their meaningless words. When you pray, GO INTO YOUR ROOM AN CLOSE THE DOOR. AND PRAY TOT HE FATHER IN THESE WORDS..." which is what we no call the Our Father. Go into your room and pray to the Father. Says it all doesn't it? You don't need to meet others to communicate with the Lord. You don't need an intermediary to speak to the Creator of all things. Of course, just like in Jesus' day, the religious establishment simply cannot stand this precept. It robs them of relevancy. But not only did Jesus tell us how to pray, He told us how NOT to. And that way takes the clergy out of the picture, I'm afraid. What a blessing that thousands appear to be at last taking Matthew at his word! God Bless.

Many young people are leaving the Church because they do not like the Ten Commandments !! This is so evident when you here them talk (filthy language, doing drugs and you know the rest. They will pay the price sooner than they think !

I wonder what the other 80% are going to say to God when they meet him on their final Judgement Day: Oh, I just forgot, I wasn't feeling well or I didn't have the energy to attend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course some may be lucky and are burning up!!!!!!!!

Ooops! I thought my first post didn't make it online and re-editted it. Sorry...

Brilliant post by Oclearmada! I have always pointed to statistics from sociological studies which show that, on average, 2% of any population is sexually pervert in behaviour. That includes priests, nuns, atheists, Lutherans, Methodists, Muslims, Buddhists etc., and also parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and neighbours. Real Catholics today, well, you know... they are there, like Oclearmada. It goes to show that even 21-yr olds can get their spiritual priorities and practices properly right. Shame on you lot who believe in the 98% blaming game without considering or appreciating the true wealth of Mass. A/bishop Martin is right: it’s a loss to the 80% who don’t attend... but not impossible for anyone of that number to rediscover and recover the spiritual wealth of attending Mass.

Brilliant post by Oclearmada! I have always pointed to statistics from sociological studies that show that, on average, 2% of any population is sexually pervert in behaviour. That includes priests, nuns, atheists, Lutherans, Methodists, Muslims, Buddhists etc., and also parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and one's neighbours. >> On the topic of the article above, people dropped off going to Mass when the Sabbath (Sunday in Western society) was downgraded from being a holy day by secular governments. When that happened, business interests and consumerism took over the Holy Day so that governments could gain more taxes from consumer spending. Attending Mass became a nuisance to people who wanted, instead, to go - shopping, for example. So people stopped going to Mass and went shopping to such an extent that it became the new ‘norm’ not to go and celebrate Christ’s sacrifice. Like GeorgeDillon says, real Catholics still go to Mass in masses; the rest are lapsed and simply use any of the easy excuses, like child abuse by religious, as their excuse not to continue to celebrate what Christ was about. Back before Oclearmada was born, the excuse for not going to Mass was the Catholic Church’s teaching that artificial contraception (the pill and the morning-after pill acting to abort a new human life) which many Catholics used was against the Law of God. The lapsing Catholics back then choose to ignore the Church’s teaching, as they do today. Real Catholics today, well, you know... they are there, like young stalwart Oclearmada (his father was certainly guided by the Holy Spirit). It goes to show that even 21-yr olds can get their spiritual priorities and practices properly right. Shame on you lot who believe in consumerism and the 98% blaming game without considering the true wealth of Mass and of that of the people who continue to celebrate it.

Woundedknee, what on earth are you on about, I have never mentioned the word muslim ever on I.C. Importing muslims ??? Jasus get a life and stop making up your own stories. Catholicism is what I was on about and nothing else. Can't you read.

mamaginnty: Is that why you're so keen on importing Muslims into Ireland? Are you so dumb as to think that the Muslim clergy will be any better?

I am an Irish American, everyone in my family was Lutheran or Methodist and some point. However, my grandmother insisted in Catholicism. I am 21 and live in Minneapolis, MN. I was raised by 3 Fathers. I do the sign of the cross. I am proud to be Catholic it is more than a religion to me. I miss Mass once in a while. However, I was raised with good morals, not just what my religion teaches me but also the community. I show up for mass hungover and wanting to throw up, but I sing and learn. It when I see all my old friends that went to the Catholic school next to the church. Mass is good for the soul. Its a MASS not a service. Also statistically, Priest are just as likely to commit sexual assault as a lay person. Its a horrible thing and a repulsive truth. But in the end, Priests are humans.

JimMcGarity, Who has won ?? We went to Sunday Mass, took our children to Sunday Mass, proud of our child being the alter boy at Sunday Mass, but now we cry at the thought of Sunday Mass. Told so many lies at Sunday Mass, brainwashed at Sunday Mass. Our Beautiful alter boy raped after Sunday Mass. Don't talk about spiritual Guidance, or not being a catholic if you do not go to Sunday Mass. I have learned a lot as a catholic, that the Roman Catholic Church was a world wide mafia, yes things have to definitly change, from the Pope down, thier books of lies burned, God wanted the religious to follow in his footsteps, not to act like gods themselves with a law unto themselves of greed and lust. A new breed is needed. Sunday Mass might mean something better then.

I'm finding it difficult to believe that JimMcGarity or anyone could actually believe that it's religion that keeps people from killing and robbing and rude driving! LOL. Being at weekly mass doesn't keep some of them from raping children and others from covering up their crimes, does it?

They should go to church (even the young). It's important for spiritual guidance.

Stupid headline, par for Irish Central. Should Read "Most Catholics attend Mass every Sunday". If they are not going to Mass, they're not Catholics.

Catholicism was always visual and people now want answers not sugary replies and we have no such tradition of questions and answers.The days of docile acceptance are over.

So, many young only have marginal interest in the message of Jesus, don't they? "And when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and there ..." (Matth. 6,6) What Jesus logically also had not in store was the "message of threat", threats later taught and preached for those not going to church, not belonging to a congregation. The oh so bad young people can take easy, rest peacefully in their beds, when staying at home on Sunday.