Liberalism is driving men out of the pews
SIR – Mary Kenny (Comment, February 12) is quite right that the loss of men from Catholic congregations is not confined to France. Research in the USA indicates that men make up only 35 per cent of the typical congregation, and anecdotal evidence suggests the same for the UK. Some have concluded that men are less religious than women, but the phenomenon is far from universal. Hindus, Jews and Muslims have no special difficulty attracting men, and nor do Orthodox churches in the West. The rule seems to be, rather, that the more liberal the group, the fewer the men. I don’t think most lapsed Catholic men have a thought-through commitment to theological conservatism. The problem is rather that liberalism manifests itself liturgically in ways peculiarly difficult for men to bear: in emotionalism, informality, wordiness, and the worship of the community instead of God. The form of Catholic worship which consistently attracts and retains men is the Traditional Latin Mass. A survey of Traditional Masses around the world found that congregations average about 55 per cent men. If you want the Church to include both sexes, you know what you have to do. Yours faithfully, Joseph Shaw Chairman, the Latin Mass Society, London WC2
