diminished. Sociologist Andrew Greeley and others locate Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical on birth control, as a watershed moment for the loss of credibility. The book American Catholics Today released in 2007 shows that since the 1980s, only about 10 percent of Catholics claim to look to Church leaders alone to guide them on decisions about contraception. In this and other areas Catholics have shifted the locus of moral authority from the hierarchy to their own experience and consciences. Perhaps some of today’s Catholics are more like adult children who do not want to take orders, but to be in dialogue with their parents.

Some may also think they need to take on some responsibilities to aid their parents in the governance of the household. The sexual abuse scandal and its cover-up revealed in 2002 led some Catholics to organize. Social movements such as Voice of the Faithful called for Catholics to draw on their knowledge and commitment to press the hierarchy to become more accountable and transparent.

3. How does a papal Mass affect different types of Catholics?

An early figure in the sociology of religion, Emile Durkheim, stressed that religion is essentially social. Psychologist Eugene Kennedy classified Catholics as being of two cultures. Culture One is composed of those so interested in the institution that they know all the key players and happenings; most seminarians and Church leaders come from this group. Culture Two is made up of those who identify as Catholics, but are not preoccupied with the institution. These cultures do not necessary correlate with being liberal or conservative.

The spectacle of a papal visit may draw "non-Catholics" into the Church.

A 2005 survey indicated that 34 percent of Catholics attend Mass weekly and 50 percent attend at least twice a month. This means just over a third of Catholics attend Mass as often as the Church would like. From Durkheim’s perspective, an individual’s identification with a group is created through participation in the group’s actions. Likewise, for communities to be strong they need regular events to reaffirm their shared meanings and central ideas.

A papal visit is a big event meant to bolster Culture Ones and attract Culture Twos. Being in the know, Culture Ones see a liturgy presided over by the pope, concelebrated by the bishops, even including one’s local bishop as a thrilling event. They respond to prayers pronounced by the pope and receive communion hosts consecrated by him. They realize they are even closer to the pope than the cliché of six degrees of separation: the pope knows my bishop who knows my pastor who knows me. This experience of collective effervescence not only reinforces their Catholic identity but also may even propel them to reach out to the Culture Two Catholics in their life.

Culture Twos who may be looking for more religion in his or her life, and who have relationships with Culture Ones would be the most likely to be changed by a papal visit. Social scientists have documented this dynamic in conversions or reaffiliations across the religious spectrum. A similar affect might be found for non-Catholics who lack or have weak ties to other denominations, and have relationships with Culture One Catholics. The spectacle of a papal visit may draw them into the Church. One way to measure this might be to see if there is an increase in numbers of adults seeking the Sacrament of Confirmation or entering into the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), especially in places visited by the pope, in the year following a papal visit.

4. Who will hear what?

What kind of hearing will Pope Benedict receive? Who will be listening and for what? Catholics who are committed to particular issues will certainly be listening to see if the pope says something to support them. Members of conservative groups will be listening for the condemnation of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage. Since the 2004 election Catholics with a progressive orientation based on Catholic social teaching have organized. They adopt the consistent ethic of life and are in line with the bishops in promoting care for neo-natal life as well as for children and adults through access to healthcare, education, living wages, comprehensive immigration reform, care for the environment, and even opposition to the Iraq war. They are hoping that the pope, who is European and likely to see many of the later benefits as hallmarks of a civilized society, will say so.

Catholics have different ways of dealing with tensions between the pope’s teachings and other beliefs and practices. Some point to a hierarchy of truths saying that matters related to natural law such as sexuality and reproduction are non-negotiable while social teaching is based on prudential judgment leaving a wide berth for agreement and disagreement. Others subscribing to a consistent ethic of life stress the interrelationship of all ethical issues. Some use reason to question what today is treated as the taken for granted interpretation of the Catholic tradition, and engage in what is called emancipatory discourse. For example, they might survey Church history and provide evidence that in the past, authority figures in the Church held a variety of positions on a given issue, challenging claims that “the Church has always taught” a particular

For a Q&A with Father Pogorelc, click HERE to read this Catholic Digest Papal Exclusive.