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One out of four Catholics increased their giving last year, and 77 percent of these donors say that they were inspired to give more by Pope Francis. More than two in five (44%) Catholics say that Pope Francis’ message of hope, love, and charity will inspire them to give more to Catholic efforts or organizations in the future.
The survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics for FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of National Collections.
The FADICA survey shows that Hispanic Catholics are particularly inspired by Pope Francis.
- More than four in five Hispanics (85%) say the Pope had significant or some influence on their giving.
- Hispanics are the most likely to have increased their giving from last year (30%).
- Approximately half of Hispanics (48%) say Pope Francis has inspired them to give more to Catholic efforts or organizations.
“It is clear that Pope Francis and his message of mercy and joy, and a special concern for the poor, are inspiring U.S. Catholics in their giving,” said Alexia Kelley, president of FADICA, a nonprofit member association that works to strengthen and promote Catholic philanthropy.
[Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese is a senior analyst for NCR and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. His email address is treesesj@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @ThomasReeseSJ.]
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