US belief in Real Presence higher than previously thought

In 2019, a survey from Pew Research Center found that only about one-third (31%) of all US Catholics believed in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. These findings naturally concerned US bishops and were largely responsible for the initiation of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival. Now, however, a new survey is suggesting that more US Catholics believe in the Real Presence than the 2019 survey determined.

Pew found that belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist varied greatly depending on the respondent’s rate of Mass attendance.

Of those who attend Mass weekly or more frequently, 63% cited their belief in the Real Presence, but this figure fell to 25% in those who go to church just monthly or yearly. Only 13% of those who seldom or never go responded the same.

Now, a new survey from Vinea Research has found the figures to be a bit higher. Conducted in 2022, Vinea found that 7-in-10 (69%) of all Mass-going Catholics believe in the Real Presence. It identified the same correlation between belief in the Real Presence and church attendance, with those who attend church more than once per week most likely to claim such belief at, a rate of 92%.

Those who attend Mass once per week cited their belief in the Real Presence at a rate of 81%, followed closely by those who only attend once or twice per month, at 80%.

Those who only enter a church once or twice per year responded at a rate of 64%, and even those who seldom go were a little more likely than not to believe in the Real Presence, with 51%. Vinea’s report did not mention those Catholics who never attend Mass.

The largest discrepancy between the two surveys can be seen in the groups that attend Mass with the least frequency. Jumping from 13% to 51% in just three years is quite a leap of faith, but this could be explained by the exclusion of those who do not go to Mass at all. Still, the difference between responses in those who attend Mass most frequently (Pew’s 63% to Vinea’s 81% - 92%) should not be ignored.

Vinea suggests that the difference could have been due to confusing questions.

Pew asked Catholics to “describe Catholic teaching about the bread and wine used for Communion,” for which it offered the following choices: “Actually becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” and “Are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” 

Vinea argues that the phrase “actually becomes” in particular is not one that Catholics are used to hearing when talking about transubstantiation. Vinea updated the questions to put them in terms that might be more easily recognizable to Catholics for the 2022 survey: “Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist,” or “Bread and wine are symbols of Jesus, but Jesus is not truly present.” 

With Vinea’s wording, Catholics were much more keen to cite their belief in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Hans Plate, founder of Vinea Research, noted that while Vinea and Pew have different methodologies that prevent an accurate comparison between reports, Pew may have underestimated US Catholics: 

Read the full report from Vinea Research, here.