Interfaith marriage

Commonweal, Sept 11, 1998 by James D. Davidson

Compared to Catholics with same-faith spouses, Catholics in interfaith marriages are more likely to experience marital discord and divorce. They also are less likely to register in parishes, attend Mass, and pray privately. They are less likely to accept traditional beliefs (such as the Nicene Creed), agree with the church's sexual and reproductive norms, and comply with the church's social teachings. They are less likely to agree with canon law on matters such as the need to attend Mass and to limit ordination to celibate males.

It's no wonder that diocesan and parish leaders encourage Catholics to marry Catholics and to avoid interfaith marriage. They use religious education programs, youth ministry, and marriage preparation to explain how same-faith marriages contribute to marital stability, commitment to the church, and one's chances of passing the faith on to one's children.

Yet, interfaith marriages accounted for 30 percent of all marriages sanctioned by the Catholic church in 1997 (Official Catholic Directory [OCD]). Some dioceses, such as Brownsville, Texas (6 percent), Newark, New Jersey (16 percent), and Providence, Rhode Island (17 percent) are well below the national average. But others are far above it. The intermarriage rate is 43 percent in Portland, Oregon; 52 percent in Lafayette, Indiana; 69 percent in Knoxville, Tennessee; and 71 percent in Burlington, Vermont.

Why are intermarriage rates so low in some dioceses, and so high in others? The answer lies in social forces beyond the control of church leaders. Several years ago, sociologist Peter Blau showed that members of small groups have many opportunities to interact with members of large groups; members of large groups have relatively few opportunities to interact with members of small groups. Thus, all other things being equal (for example, the quality of parish-based catechetical programs), the likelihood of interfaith marriage increases as the percentage of Catholics decreases. Data from the OCD (1997) confirm Blau's thesis.

Catholics as percent       Interfaith marriage
of population                 rate (percent)

By Dioceses

greater than 50                    18
40-49                              19
30-39                              24
20-29                              33
10-19                              40
less than 10                       51

By States

greater than 30                    24
20-29                              29
10-19                              39
less than 10                       54

When Catholics comprise 50 percent or more of the total population in a geographical diocese, the interfaith marriage rate is only 18 percent (well below the national average of 30 percent). The dioceses of Brownsville, Texas (where Catholics are 81 percent of the population), and Newark, New Jersey (where they are 51 percent) are good examples.

In dioceses where Catholics are 40-49 percent of the population, the intermarriage rate is a bit higher, 19 percent. Four dioceses are typical: Fall River, Massachusetts (18 percent); Hartford, Connecticut (18 percent); New York (19 percent); and Chicago (20 percent).

When Catholics are 30-39 percent of the population, the intermarriage rate rises to 24 percent. Dioceses in this category include New Orleans (where the interfaith marriage rate is 23 percent); Trenton (24 percent); and Pittsburgh (30 percent).

As the percentage of Catholics shrinks to 20-29 percent, the intermarriage rate increases to 33 percent. The archdiocese of Milwaukee is typical: Catholics are 29 percent of the population; the intermarriage rate is 32 percent. Other dioceses include Oakland (27 percent), Manchester, New Hampshire (33 percent); and Gary, Indiana (37 percent).

When the Catholic population declines to 10-19 percent, the intermarriage rate jumps to 40 percent. The two Portlands illustrate this pattern. In Portland, Maine, where Catholics are 18 percent, the intermarriage rate is 36 percent. In Portland, Oregon, where Catholics are 10 percent, the rate is 43 percent. Catholics are most likely to marry non-Catholics in dioceses where Catholics are less than 10 percent of the population. In Biloxi, Catholics are only 9 percent of the population and the intermarriage rate is 52 percent. Lafayette, Indiana, with only 8 percent Catholics also has a rate of 52 percent.

State figures (see table above) also show that the fewer Catholics there are in a given area, the higher the interfaith marriage rate. Regional data show the same thing. In New England, where Catholics are 42 percent of the population, the intermarriage rate is only 23 percent. Catholics are 24 percent of the population in the Great Lakes region; the intermarriage rate is 33 percent. In the Northwest, where Catholics are only 10 percent of the population, the interfaith marriage rate is 45 percent. Catholics are only 4 percent in the Old South; the interfaith marriage rate is 53 percent. The only regional exception to Blau's thesis in the Southwest, where Catholics are 22 percent and the intermarriage rate is relatively low (22 percent). Racial and ethnic factors probably account for this exception.