Catholics in the US do what the Pope and bishops tell them, are not permitted to think for themselves and are superstitious and idolatrous, according to a new survey of non-Catholic Americans.
Released at the weekend by the Chicago University sociologist Father Andrew Greeley, it was presented at New York's Fordham University to a joint symposium, "Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable American Prejudice?"
The survey showed that nearly 73 per cent of respondents believed that Catholics do what the Pope and bishops tell them, and 52 per cent feel Catholics are not permitted to think for themselves.
"I confess that I was staggered by the extent of the persistence of anti-Catholic cliches among Americans.
"I had not anticipated that they would have gone away, but I did not expect they would be as pervasive as they were," Father Greeley said.
The survey, based on data collected in March 2002 from a sampling of approximately 550 non-Catholic Americans, was conducted by the Knowledge Network.
Among the findings were that a vast majority (83 per cent) of those surveyed believed that instead of worshipping only God, Catholics also worship Mary and the saints. More than half (57 per cent) believed that the statues and images in Catholic churches were idols and were worshipped by Catholics. Almost half (46 per cent) felt that rosaries and medals were superstitious.
A similar proportion (48 per cent) rejected the notion that Catholics did not try to impose their moral beliefs on others.
However, the survey also showed that 93 per cent thought Catholics could be good Americans, and 85 per cent thought there were good things to be said about Catholic schools.
Other positive findings to emerge included one that younger and better-educated respondents were less likely to be anti-Catholic.
In his remarks accompanying the presentation at Fordham University, Father Greeley admitted being "filled with despair; a reluctant judgment on American society and its culture.
"For all our self-righteous pride about our fights against racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and sexism, the structure of our presumed moral excellence collapses if the acid of an unacknowledged bigotry eats away at its foundation," he said.
