Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/960495
14 maltatoday SUNDAY 1 APRIL 2018 MaltaToday Survey MALTESE Catholics are still at- tached to Sunday Mass with an overwhelming 63.7% having ad- mitted to attending the previous week's celebration, the survey found. But while Sunday Mass attend- ance was highest among those aged 65 and over, the young bucked the general trend. In the 18-35 age group 53.8% said they did not attend the pre- vious Sunday's celebration. Sunday Mass is obligatory for Catholics. The survey found that Gozo had the highest attendance, with 81% saying they attended Mass the previous Sunday. Attend- ance was lowest in the Southern Harbour area, although an abso- lute majority was still recorded. According to the last census of Sunday Mass attendance carried out by the Church in 2005, 53% attended Mass on the day. While the census remains a more accurate tool to gauge at- tendance because it physically records people in church, the percentage was worked out on the whole Maltese population of the time, assuming everyone was Catholic. The MaltaToday survey asked the question only to those re- spondents who identified them- selves as Catholic, who still account for 93.9% of the popula- tion. Furthermore, it has to be noted that the survey was conducted during Lent, a period in which some may be more inclined to attend religious services. The survey also found a dispar- ity in Sunday Mass attendance along political lines. While 55.5% of Labour Party voters in 2017 said, they had attended the pre- vious Sunday's Mass, Nationalist Party voters were more devote. A whopping 82.9% of 2017 PN voters said they attended Mass the previous week. Unfashionable confession Confession is unfashionable for a vast majority of Maltese Catholics with middle-aged peo- ple being the least likely to have confessed their sins to a priest. The MaltaToday survey found that only 30 per cent of those who subscribe to the Catholic faith went to confession some- time in the previous month. The lowest rate of attendance was among the 36-51 age group, where only 13.7% said they had participated in the sacrament of penance. This was followed by the younger age group among which 19.4% said they had gone to con- fession sometime in the previous month. The highest rate was registered among those aged 65 and up, where 53.8% said they had con- fessed their sins sometime in the previous 30 days. In line with Mass attendance, Gozitans had the highest rate of confession attendance, which, however, only reached 39.7%. People living in the South East were the least likely to have gone to confession with only 22.7% saying they did so sometime in the previous month. This question was asked only to those who identified them- selves as Catholic. CATHOLICS AND THEIR RELIGIOUS DUTIES Sunday Mass still popular but not among the young 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 OVERALL 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PL PN AD id not vote No answer 63.7% 12.9% 22.3% 50.8% 23.8% 25.0% 56.0% 11.6% 31.6% 72.1% 7.1% 19.0% 82.6% 11.4% 58.5% 14.6% 26.9% 81.5% 7.1% 8.8% 38.3% 61.8% 41.6% 18.2% 36.3% 64.8% 13.4% 21.0% OVERALL 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Gozo Northern Northern Harbour South Eastern Southern Harbour Western PL PN AD Did not vote 63.7% 36.3% 46.2% 53.8% 55.9% 44.1% 78.9% 21.1% 79.7% 20.3% 81.0% 19.0% 62.2% 37.8% 63.9% 36.1% 60.6% 39.4% 57.1% 42.9% 67.9% 32.1% 55.5% 44.5% 82.9% 17.1% 67.6% 32.4% 50.7% 49.3% 30.0% 70.0% 19.4% 80.6% 13.7% 86.3% 39.0% 61.0% 53.8% 46.2% 39.7% 60.3% 36.6% 63.5% 26.0% 74.0% 22.7% 77.3% 28.5% 71.6% 35.2% 64.8% 22.7% 77.3% 30.8% 69.2% 53.4% 46.6% 23.6% 76.4% OVERALL 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PL PN AD Did not vote 93.7% 90.1% 92.5% 94.9% 99.2% 94.0% 95.1% 100.0% 7.6% 81.1% 7.7% Doyou consider yourself to be a practising member of your religion? Yes No 'A little ' Don't Know Did you attend Mass last Sunday? Did you go to confession sometime in the past month? Do you agree that crucifixes should be removed from public buildings like schools? (selected indicators)