Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/960495
15 maltatoday SUNDAY 1 APRIL 2018 MaltaToday Survey Religion: an identity totem JAMES DEBONO IN past MaltaToday surveys, re- spondents were more likely to deviate from Catholic dogmas and norms while still clinging to religious symbols. While defining themselves as Catholics and staunchly de- fending symbols of Christian identity, the Maltese had told a MaltaToday survey that they deviated from Church teaching on a number of issues particu- larly regarding death, sexuality and family life, and that they remained ambivalent on the Church's social teachings on themes like immigration. The 2010 survey indicated an à la carte disposition to religious dogma and practice. Carried out before the watershed divorce referendum of 2011, the survey showed over 90% of the Maltese believing in God and following the Roman Catholic religion. By 2016 the percentage who defined themselves as Catholics had declined by just a percent- age point. Still, many Maltese are lapsed Catholics to the extent that sur- veys conducted as recently as last year show that only about half attend Sunday Mass while a majority of under-35s don't. The 2010 survey also showed an absolute majority of Maltese (93%) disagreeing with the re- moval of religious symbols like the crucifix in public buildings. In 2013, when MaltaToday asked respondents what 'made them Maltese', 14% cited re- ligion, which emerged as the fourth most mentioned mark of national identity after language, culture and food. A further 8% referred to the Maltese feast as a mark of national identity. In 2016 another survey showed the vast majority (95%) believed that newspapers should not be allowed to publish cartoons "making fun" of religious fig- ures, which suggested that the Maltese were prickly about the kind of satire used by the French satirical magazine Charlie Heb- do. Despite the removal of the crime for religious vilification from the statute books, the ma- jority of the Maltese still agreed with censorship when it comes to offending deep-rooted reli- gious sensitivities. In 2017 an overwhelming 87% also expressed the view that Ro- man Catholicism should remain Malta's official religion, which suggests that the Maltese are not so keen on constitutional change aimed at affirming the secular nature of the Maltese state. The times are 'a-changin' In 2010, the majority of re- spondents showed Malta was already departing from the Catholic Church's teachings on contraception, IVF and sex be- fore marriage. For example, only 22% of the Maltese and 12% of under-35s agreed with the Church's ban on artificial contraception. As regards sex before marriage, the survey showed a clear split between different age groups. While 50.4% of all respondents think that sex before or outside marriage is always wrong, 66% of under-35s disagree with this outright ban. A 2012 survey held in Gozo even showed 73% of Gozitans supporting the inclusion of IVF in public healthcare. As regards gay rights MaltaTo- day surveys have documented a sharp change in opinions. In more conservative Gozo, agree- ment with same-sex marriage rose from just 9% in 2007 to 37% in 2012. Nationally, agree- ment with same-sex marriage increased from 29% in 2007 to 41% in 2012. And while abortion has re- mained taboo in all surveys con- ducted by MaltaToday, a sur- vey carried out in 2016 showed widespread agreement with euthanasia in those cases where the patient suffers from a termi- nal illness and unbearable pain. Among 18- to 34-year olds, 65% of them agree with the right to die in this specific circumstance. Such choices suggested that Catholicism was becoming more of a totem of identity than a way of life. For example, in 2017 among people who were educated in a church school, only 32% agreed with the teach- ing of Islam in Church schools. This clearly contrasted with Archbishop Scicluna's call on Church schools to open up to Islamic students. The surveys also indicated that the majority of Maltese shun Church interference in political and social issues. In contrast to Pope Francis's sharp pronouncements against indifference towards migrants, a 2016 survey showed a rela- tive majority of 46% who would like the Church to speak less in favour of accepting migrants. Only 37% said they wanted the Church to speak out against tax evasion, listed as a sin in the cat- echism of the universal Church. Such figures betray the tension between the more socially pro- gressive Catholicism preached by Pope Francis and a resurgent conservatism, one which might accept more civil liberties and more liberal social norms but is keen on symbols of identity even when expressing hostility to some of the most salient as- pects of the Church's social and political teachings. How past MaltaToday surveys charted the 'Catholic Maltese' through the years PRIESTHOOD remains one of the last bastions of male dominance but 38% of Maltese believe the Catholic church should allow the ordination of women priests. The level of agreement with women priests now is almost 10 points higher than it was in a Malta- Today survey held eight years ago. People aged under 35 were more amenable to the idea with results showing an even split be- tween those who favour women priests and those who do not. The level of agreement decreases progressively among the older generations with those aged 65 and over giving the idea a strong thumb down. The survey found that 50.9% of people overall opposed the idea of having women priests while another 9.6% were uncertain about the matter. In the 2010 survey, disagreement with the ordi- nation of women stood at a lofty 58%. Support for the idea is stronger among Labour Party voters with 41.9% agreeing that women should be allowed to become priests and 46.3% against. Nationalist Party voters overwhelmingly reject the idea, with 58.4% against and 35.1% in favour of women priests. Gozo showed itself to be the more conserva- tive region with 61.9% rejecting the idea. Hot on the heels is the South East where 56.1% said they disagreed with the ordination of women priests. The Northern region is the only one where a relative majority (46.2%) of people believe the Catholic Church should allow women to become priests. People in the Southern Harbour region are split down the middle on the subject with 43% expressing an opinion either way. Priests getting married? Not such a bad idea While people generally rejected the notion of women priests, the survey found an almost equal split on whether the clergy should be allowed to get married. Catholic priests cannot get married but 41.6% of Maltese believe the Church should allow them to do so. Opposition to the idea ran at 44.7%, with 11.7% uncertain where they stood on the issue. The strongest supporters of the idea were those aged under 35, where 51.5% believe the Catholic Church should allow priests to get married. Support remained relatively high among the middle-aged where 48.7% felt the Church should drop its ban on marriage for priests. In this age group, opposition to the idea stood at 40.6%. However, the tide starts to turn in the over-50s. People aged between 51 and 65 rejected the idea, with 45.3% against and 37.1% in favour. As expected, opposition ran highest among the elderly, with 56.4% against and 23.4% in favour. The elderly were also the most undecided with 19% unsure where they stood on the matter. Similar to the answers for women priests, the Northern region delivered the strongest result (49.7%) in favour of married priests, followed by the Southern Harbour region (46.1%). The weakest support for the idea was in Gozo where 34.1% agreed that the Church should allow priests to marry. A distinction was also evident along political lines. Labour Party voters agreed with married priests (53.2% in favour), while 53.8% of Nation- alist Party voters disagreed with the idea. Women priests? Not quite there yet OVERALL 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PL PN AD Did not vote 41.6% 44.7% 51.5% 39.9% 48.7% 40.6% 37.1% 45.3% 23.4% 56.4% 53.2% 35.7% 31.8% 53.8% 70.7% 15.2% 55.2% 29.2% Yes No Yes No Should the Catholic Church allow priests to get married? OVERALL 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ PL PN AD Did not vote 38.0% 50.9% 46.4% 46.3% 46.3% 45.5% 33.1% 52.1% 21.1% 63.0% 41.9% 46.3% 35.1% 58.4% 84.8% 15.2% 52.7% 35.8% Should the Catholic Church allow women to become priests? Non-answers and 'don't knows' have been removed in some the infographics, so results may not total 100%