"Effect Francis"
For 50.8% of the priests, the Pope brings more faithful in church
TURIN, November 10, 2013 ( Zenit.org ) - L 'effect' Francis', so moved by appeals to rely on divine mercy of the new Pope a number of faithful back to church after years of separation, continues to be perceived more half of the Italian Catholic communities. This was revealed by a search of the sociologist Massimo Introvigne, which will be presented to the Cottolengo in Turin Monday, November 11. Introvigne had first tested the theory of 'effect' Francis' in April this year, after a month of the pontificate of Pope Bergoglio. Then the priests and religious who claimed to have seen an increase in their own community of people who recommit themselves to the Church or confess was 53%, and the phenomenon was also noted by 41.8% of the laity. The sociologist has now Cottolengo to the book "The secret of Pope Francis" (Sugarco, Milan, 2013), a look at the Argentine hinterland of the Pope and the first months of her Magisterium, where returns on the survey of April, which was greeted with interest and reviewed by magazines and newspapers also out of Italy, and in different countries had been repeated by sociologists with results that are partly similar and partly different.
At the conference of Turin Introvigne presents a new survey, six months after the first and on a larger sample. The result is that the effect Francesco is now perceived by 50.8% of priests and religious. As early as April, the perception is much higher among the men (79.37%), but remains majority also considering the priests and religious in their entirety. Again as in April, the laity perceive the effect Francesco less religious, but the percentage who notices it is still significant: 44.8%.
"The fluctuations around the three points - Introvigne explains - are statistically normal. The fact that the number of priests and religious who perceive the effect is slightly decreased and that of the laity is slightly increased is not decisive. The important fact is that, after six months from the first survey and seven months after the beginning of his pontificate, the phenomenon of the effect Francesco shows no signs of reflux, rather it consolidates. " "A little 'more than half of priests and religious - says the sociologist - an effect known in their communities Francis, that does not fade with the passing of months but persists. If we tried to translate the data in terms of numbers and on a national scale, with reference only half of the parishes and communities, we should talk in Italy of hundreds of thousands of people who recommit themselves to the Church accept invitations from Pope Francis. A massive effect and even spectacular. "
"Of course - the scholar concluded - the effect Francesco reports only the first movement of return to the Church. But, as stated by the Pope Francis in a speech October 14, 2013 at the plenary session of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, when the first announcement takes root must start a second time, catechesis. This, however, will no longer depend on effective communication of the Pope but by communities and parishes. If the consequences of the Francis will be really solid and lasting therefore depends on how the priests, religious and the laity and the movements will unleash the pastoral strategy of the Pope. "
