By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--April 1, 2021
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As just one lonely soul among millions held home in lockdown, longing to be back in church for the second Holy Week in a row, I never expected to feel the Glory of God through a message from the Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with Cardus.
But of all the most unlikeliest of places, on Holy Thursday, Angus Reid has restored my faith in Catholics.
Statistics in their latest poll are likely the same in the U.S. and further abroad.“Easter may be a time of rebirth and renewal, but the new surge of COVID-19 infections across the country means 2021 will not bring a much-awaited resurrection of pre-pandemic in-person prayer, gathering, and Communion. “The study, which canvassed the views of 1,059 Canadian adults who attended religious services at least once per month pre-pandemic, finds more personal prayer (32%), but less connection to a sense of religious community (50%). Many long for a return to in-person worship (49%), but among those who’ve had an opportunity to do so under pandemic restrictions, a plurality (42%) describe the experience as less satisfying. The pandemic has also had equal parts positive and negative impacts on their own spirituality. “As with almost every aspect of pandemic life, online services have been a lifeline for those craving contact with their churches, temples, and synagogues. The vast majority (77%) of Canadians who regularly attended religious services pre-pandemic say they’ve streamed or “attended” a religious service online, most of them on a regular basis, and most praising it in absence of no other alternative. Indeed, more than three times as many say they would maintain the availability of online services rather than discontinue them post pandemic (56% versus 17% respectively).
“Religious Canadians praying for return to in-person worship, but won’t forsake online services in future”; “Half of Canadians who regularly attended religious services pre-pandemic “very keen” to go back.”To me, this is the best one of all: “More than half (55%) of Roman Catholics miss it greatly, while just 5 per cent do not miss it at all.” If government leaders of certain countries, (as some suspect), kept churches closed and attendance restricted, to deprive believers of their faith, they lost. If clerics are in collusion with governments in going along with keeping houses of worship closed (as some suspect), DITTO.
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