Oye: Hispanics aren’t Catholic just because

Shocking news from Catholic News Agency: Young Hispanic Catholics are less Catholic and more liberal than their elders.

We covered this reality in an article about second-generation U.S. Hispanic Catholics a few years ago, Ni Aqui Nor There, but as the stories show, the relationship between Hispanics and the church are a lot more complicated than statistics. Those who work with young Hispanics (like the Claretians) have known for a long time that you can't just expect this population to be Catholic just because they are Hispanic. You have to appeal to them and speak their language (and it's not necessarily Spanish).

Nevertheless, here are the stats (from an AP/Univison poll) that back up our story's point that this is an important area of outreach for the church:

Hispanics in the United States
Catholic: 62 percent
For legal abortion: 39 percent
For same-sex marriage: 31 percent

Young Hispanics in the United States (18-29):
Catholic: 55 percent
For legal abortion: 49 percent
For same-sex marriage: 46 percent

Thanks to the Hispanic Ministry Resource Center for keeping U.S. Catholic in the know when it comes to Hispanic Catholics. And speaking of, our partners in HMRC just launched a brand new website for OYE, a vocational guide for young Hispanics.

It's so new that there are still some things that need to be worked out, but it's shaping up to be a website that is dynamic as its audience. Hopefully it'll keep young Hispanics Catholic and help them live out their faith more fully. Be sure to share it with our youth and those who work with youth, and order copies of OYE Magazine to distribute.