MUST READ: Stunning results of largest-ever survey of lay Catholics released

But will the Church hierarchy listen?

A scandalous incident at my home parish a few weeks ago demonstrated everything wrong with what is currently happening in Mother Church.

Straight after a visiting Jesuit Priest denied the reality of hell during his “homily” (translation: he called Jesus Christ, the Saints, and various Catholic seers liars and rejected the Magisterium and Scriptures), he took a misstep after the consecration, tripped and nearly fell. Due to the architectural nature of the Sanctuary, this could have potentially led to serious injury. (Coincidence or a case of God won’t be mocked? You decide.).

During this sacrilegious spectacle, the Body of our Lord fell to the ground and some of the hosts were even found behind the Masonic chairs where the Priest sits. It was clear during this drama that none of the so-called “extra-ordinary ministers of the Eucharist” (inverted commas intentional, as these should not exist and are part of the problem) knew what to do.

Shortly afterward, countless bored and aloof parishioners lined up unfazed to rush through the process of receiving communion. Most were dressed in a way that would prevent you from being allowed into a reasonably decent restaurant and some were chewing gum as they received the Lord Jesus Christ in their dirty unconsecrated hands - from dirty unconsecrated hands, mind you. Oh yes, and they all made sure, as per the parish Priest’s latest scheme on how to get them through the “fast-food” queue quickest, that they lined up the specified way to maximise the speed of receiving in order not to go over the allocated hour set aside for Sunday Mass. I mean, God forbid that it takes longer, and we make the Lord’s Day about…the Lord!

Afterward, said Jesuit priest was unrepentant, though. When a measly two congregants out of approximately 350 confronted him about his hell remarks at tea after Mass, he hardly changed his tune until one faithful Catholic lady asked him whether he was implying that Our Lady lied at Fatima. The old Jesuit sheepishly and reluctantly said no, then turned his attention elsewhere.

Most parishioners though seemingly couldn’t care less. One woman even went to the Priest and congratulated him on his remarks, saying that she agreed with him, while others mockingly joked with those affronted by the Priest’s display of formal heresy.

As he walked to his car, he proudly told another congregant that his homily “sure caused a bit of controversy in your parish”. Yes, of course, that was Christ’s final instruction, “go forth, deny the truth, and create controversy”. Well done, Padre.

This little slice of parish life is by no means the exception. The mixture of false teaching, badly catechized laity, and general irreverence towards the Eucharist has become the hallmark of Novus Ordo Catholicism in a time when the dark forces within the Church are getting ever closer to establishing their New Synodal Jesuit Church.

But now a “few” faithful Catholics, have spoken up.

In July 2024, the Real Presence Coalition (RPC), an informal group of influential Catholics working to restore belief in Jesus Christ’s Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, launched the single largest survey of lay Catholics ever conducted in the U.S.

The Coalition was formed partially in response to a 2019 Pew Research survey which found that the vast majority of U.S. Catholics no longer believed in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist

Members of the RPC reads like a Who’s Who of Traditional Catholic voices and include Terry Barber (Virgin Most Powerful Radio), Doug Barry (U.S. Grace Force), Mike Church (Crusade Channel), Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Beverly DeSoto (Regina Magazine), Tim Flanders (One Peter Five), Deacon Keith Fournier, Fr Richard Heilman, Michael Hichborn (Lepanto Institute), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Dr. Taylor Marshall, Mother Miriam, Fr. Chad Ripperger, Jesse Romero (Virgin Most Powerful Radio), Eric Sammons (Crisis Magazine), Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Bishop Joseph Strickland, John Henry Westen (LifeSite News), Vicki Yamasaki (Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace), John Yep (Catholics for Catholics) and Liz Yore (Yore Children).

The results of this survey were made public this past week.

There were a “total of 15,843 responses (14,725 from U.S. lay Catholics) with an 80% completion rate yielding a total of 12,680 completed surveys”, far exceeding the number of responses required for a statistically valid survey.

The single most unique feature of the survey, hosted by respected polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, was that it “is the only survey that has specifically probed the underlying reasons for why lay Catholics believe there has been a loss of faith in the Real Presence”, according to the RPC website.

According to the RPC, “a list of 28 issues potentially contributing to the loss of faith in the Real Presence was presented to each respondent. Respondents were required to rate each issue using a 5-point scale ranging from having “NO IMPACT” to having the “GREATEST IMPACT.”

“Upon completing the rating of these issues, respondents were optionally given the opportunity to provide additional open-ended feedback if they felt their concerns were not adequately addressed by the standard list of issues”.

The results were telling to say the least, but not surprising.

The top five ranked reasons were:

1.       Receiving the Eucharist in the hand while standing:

·       Many respondents advocate for the reception of the Eucharist kneeling and on the tongue, reflecting greater reverence and respect for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

·       Concerns were raised about the practice of receiving Communion in the hand, as it is believed to lead to a loss of reverence and increases the risk of profaning the Eucharist.

·       Discomfort with the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, suggesting that only priests and deacons should distribute the Eucharist.

2.       Scandal created by offering the Holy Eucharist to public sinners who obstinately reject Catholic teaching:

·       Frustration with the failure of Church authorities to enforce Canon 915, particularly regarding Catholic politicians who publicly support positions contrary to Church teachings.

·       Perceived hypocrisy and weak leadership among Church leaders, undermining the Church's moral authority and causing scandal among the faithful.

3.       Lack of humility and reverence in the presence of the Eucharist:

·       Concerns over a general decline in reverence during Mass, including casual dress, loud talking, and treating the Mass as a social event.

·        Criticism of the clergy's lack of reverence, with reports of priests rushing through liturgical prayers and failing to handle the Eucharist with care.

4.       Clergy's casual attitude towards the Eucharist:

·       Perception that many clergy do not genuinely believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, leading to casual behavior during Mass.

·       Concerns about the casual and sometimes irreverent conduct of priests during liturgical celebrations.

5.       Failure to catechize the faithful on transubstantiation:

·       Inadequate catechesis for several decades, affecting both children and adults.

·       Strong call for better religious education in Catholic schools, CCD programs, and for adults.

Ok, I didn’t say it, nearly 16,000 other Catholics did.

Here are the respondents’ top seven suggestions to the bishops as to possible solutions to the problem:

1. Encourage the practice of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue while kneeling. (29% of respondents)

2. Catechize the faithful (24% of respondents)

3. Encourage greater reverence for the Eucharist (10% of respondents)

4. Eliminate Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (10% of respondents)

5. Withhold the Eucharist from public officials who obstinately reject Catholic teaching (9% of respondents)

6. Increase the number of Eucharistic events (4% of respondents)

7. Other (15% of respondents)

The following additional observations were also more than “just interesting”:

·       Higher Frequency of Sacramental Practices: Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) survey respondents show a higher frequency of attending weekly Mass and confession compared to Novus Ordo attendees. This suggests a stronger commitment to traditional sacramental practices among TLM attendees.

·       Stronger Belief in the Real Presence: TLM survey respondents have a greater belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, indicating a deeper adherence to traditional Catholic teachings.

·       Younger Demographic: TLM survey respondents were generally younger than Novus Ordo attendees, which may reflect a growing interest in traditional liturgical practices among younger Catholics.

·       Preference for Receiving from Clergy: The majority of Novus Ordo survey respondents prefer to receive the Eucharist from a priest or deacon, highlighting a desire for a more traditional and reverent approach to the sacrament.

Only one question remains. Since the final leg of the Synod on Synodality is currently in full swing and is supposedly all about “listening”, will the hierarchy listen to the Catholics who responded to this survey?

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