Original scientific paper

The Influence of Attending Mass on the Quality of Married Life. Results of the scientific-research Project: Christian Identity and the Quality of Married and Family Life

Zvonko Pažin ; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Djakovo, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Djakovo, Croatia
Vladimir Dugalić orcid.org/0000-0003-1085-2541 ; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Djakovo, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Djakovo, Croatia

Abstract

Based on a comparison of three published results of socio-religious research - conducted in the Republic of Croatia 1997 -1999 - with the results of the scientific-research project, »Christian Identity and the Quality of Married and Family Life« (2008) this article analyses the attitude of those surveyed about the influence of (not)attending Mass, on the quality of their married life. The results of the analysis indicate that over the past ten years the percentage (5-10%) of regular Church goers has fallen (20.6%), while the percentage of those who go to Church on a monthly basis increased slightly (20.2%), as did the percentage of occasional Church goers (34.7%). Apart from that, the research indicates that regular attendance to Mass is tightly related to experiencing God's protection, i.e. personal faith or some religious experience which was confirmed by 92.6% of those surveyed who regularly attended Mass or at least on a monthly basis and amongst 56.2% of those who attend Mass occasionally. On the other hand, even though we recorded a slight fall in attendance to Mass, nevertheless there is a noticeably relatively high percentage of those surveyed who believe that Sunday Mass has a strong influence on married and family life which, naturally, is accepted more by those who attend Mass regularly (83.9%), than those who go occasionally (44%) or do not go at all (3.6%). The research however, indicates a high percentage of those who consider that Mass influences, but not significantly, the quality of marriage and that general human values are a sufficient foundation for good marriage and family relations (27.9% of regular Church goers, 46% of occasional goers and 37.3% of those who never go to Mass). It is interesting that those who never go to Mass and consider that Mass does not deepen their communication in marriage - 30.9% nevertheless consider that Mass offers certain common values that strengthen married union. The research also indicated that the claim that attending Mass deepens communication in marriage is supported more by women than men, more by those with a lower education than those highly educated, more those right wing than those left wing which certainly sets new challenges for the Church.

Keywords

attending Mass; quality of married life; Christian identity; gender; education; political conviction

Hrčak ID:

63022

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/63022

Publication date:

30.12.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.395 *