Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

An analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life found that Catholics are one of several denominations whose representation in Congress exceeds their representation in the U.S. population. Pew reported that with 156 Catholics in the House and Senate, Catholics make up 29.2 percent of the 112th Congress but 23.9 percent of all U.S. adults. Also disproportionately represented are Protestants overall, Jews and Mormons, according to the study, issued on Jan. 6. Numbering 304 out of the 535 members of the new Congress, Protestants comprise 56.8 percent of Congress, versus 51.3 percent of U.S. adults. The Jews in Congress (39) account for 7.3 percent of lawmakers, versus 1.7 percent of U.S. adults. The 15 Mormons make up 2.8 percent of Congress; 1.7 percent of adults are Mormons. The 58 members of Congress who do not specify a Christian denomination come to 10.8 percent, versus 5.1 percent of U.S. adults.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Pope Francis greets Professor Joseph Stiglitz at the "Debt Crisis in the Global South" meeting at the Vatican in June 2024 (Vatican Media)
An interview on economics and Catholic social teaching with Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize winning economist and a professor at Columbia University.
Kevin ClarkeApril 03, 2025
Lesson one: I had to buy more stamps.
Valerie SchultzApril 03, 2025
Celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea should give new energy to evangelization efforts, a new document from the International Theological Commission says.
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell walk us through the pontiff’s recovery, including “slight improvements” in his speech.
Inside the VaticanApril 03, 2025