Charlotte sees drop in Catholic affiliation
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7% of Charlotteans identify as Catholic, per a survey conducted in 2023-24 by the Pew Research Center.
- 73% of adults in the Charlotte metro area identify as Christians, with Evangelical Protestant being the most popular religious sector (33%).
Why it matters: Among Christian groups, Catholics as a whole continue to lose more members than they gain, and are seeing the largest declines in affiliation of any religious group, Axios' Russell Contreras reports.
Driving the news: Pope Leo is the first American pope and now heads a church with some 1.4 billion members worldwide. But his power will transcend the faith community as Leo assumes a role with vast diplomatic and social influence, Axios reports.
What they're saying: "I invite all Catholics of our Diocese to some small act of charity in the days to come to be in solidarity with Pope Leo XIV," Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin said in a statement.
- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte will hold a special mass tonight at 7pm at St. Matthew (8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy) to pray for Pope Leo XIV.