Author:

Keywords:

Arts & Humanities, Religion, 2204 Religion and Religious Studies, 5004 Religious studies, 5005 Theology

Abstract:

The last European Values Study (EVS 2009) confirms the results of the three preceding EVS concerning the crumbling of links with the Church, the net fall in religious practices, in orthodoxy of beliefs and acceptance of ecclesiastic precepts in ethical matters. The Study also shows that the fall in these indicators is accentuated among younger people, of whom almost 70% are without any link to the Church since at least a generation. This EVS shows among other things, that confidence in the Church is diminishing strongly and that the replies it gives to spiritual, moral, familial and social problems are judged by a majority of people to be inadequate. Even if the catholic "pillar" still seems to manifest itself in certain cultural specificities, most of its institutions have distanced themselves from the Church. If one adds to these observations the fact that, among the qualities to be developed among children, religious education comes in last place, it seems that progressively instituted catholic religion is moving away from the culture which is that of modern society.