Madrid, Spain, Jan 13, 2009 / 23:12 pm
A study by the University of Madrid professor Pedro Gonzalez has revealed that the percentage of young people aged 15-24 who call themselves Catholic dropped from 77 to 49 percent during the last decade and that almost half of them say religion classes were practically useless.
According to the study, the drop is the result of the Church’s positions on issues such as homosexual “marriage,” abortion or euthanasia, which are positions considered “unpopular” by young people.
Likewise, 79% think the Church is too rich and 82% think the Church’s teachings on sexual matters are outdated. However, half of all young people say the Church helps the poor and needy through institutions such as Caritas.
Regarding religion classes, almost half of all young people said they were completely useless. Thirty six percent thought they were somewhat or very helpful, while 10% said they did not take the classes.