I noticed that in telenovelas, people from Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries sometimes invite priests to their houses, sometimes to talk to them about their problems, sometimes for dinner, some of them have friendships with priests and also sometimes they kiss the hands of priests.
Is it common for Americans to have personal relationships with priests?
41 comments
No
Only in some communities. Not for the majority.
For the very religious ones, yes. My brother’s family occasionally has their priest over for dinner or just to talk for a while. I wouldn’t consider it to be a very common thing, though.
Some Americans, sure.
For some people, yes, especially in smaller towns. For most though, either they don’t have priests in their religion or it is just someone they see at church.
Priests aren’t that big a part of Catholic lives in the US.
With some of the Protestant denominations their pastors and clergy seem to be a bigger part of of life.
Some Americans, yes. Some Americans, no.
I’m not sure I’ve met a priest in my life.
Maybe for Catholics. For an atheist like me, no more important than anyone else.
My family had a friend who was a mission priest, this in the mid 1960s. He was killed in his mission church, our family attended his memorial service, and that was that.
I have a friend who is a Jesuit monk and an astrophysicist. Our friendship is based on his scientific orientation, not his religious orientation.
For a small minority of people…yes. For most people…no. Only about 20% of Americans identify as Catholic and many of those don’t attend mass regularly.
I grew up in a Catholic family and can honestly say that the Church in general has much less influence on the lives of regular laypeople than they did when my parents were growing up
Say it with me everybody…”it varies person to person!”
I have a hunch if you asked this question to a person from one of the countries you specified, they’d tell you youre way over extrapolating their culture based off a TV show.
If you’re deeply religious, yes.
For the rest of us, no.
Large country so it depends. I’m protestant so we would use pastors instead and we usually just see them on Sundays.
I grew up catholic and went to catholic school from kindergarten through high school. My experience is that for 90% of US Catholics it’s more of a cultural thing than a religious thing. In short, I don’t think most American Catholics think too strongly one or the other way when it comes to priests. Not sure how Protestants feel though.
In the lives of some Catholic Americans, yes. In the lives of the overwhelming majority of Americans, no. Only around 20% of Americans identify as Catholic.
Honestly it’s going to depend on a few things.
Where you live
If you’re religious
And if you have a personal connection with the priest or minister
Certain parts of the US people are more religious, or the very least more exposed and involved with religious figures, so they’re going to have more reason to spend time with people like this.
If you’re a religious person who has a good connection to your priest or minister, then it’s not uncommon to have them for a meal or invite them to events.
And I know some people who aren’t religious at all, but the priest or minister is an old friend or someone they have a personal connection with. So even if they don’t attend church they might still have them over for a game or a party or a cookout. Not in their capacity as a priest or minister, but simply as a friend who happens to be a priest or minister.
Expanding the term “priest” to “religious leader” as it’s not just Catholic here. So you would expand that to Pastor, Priest, Rabbi, Imam, etc. So for those, for they hyper-religious ones, yes. For the ones for whom the church is their identity and community, sure. For most people, only if you are friends with that religious leader outside the context of church yes. Otherwise, mostly when someone is really going through it – severe illness, death, that sort of thing.
No
If you’re religious yes they tend to hold a degree of leadership in their community. Also common in America for church leaders to have other titles such as Pastor, Minister and Reverend.
Overall yes and no, if your religious they are and especially in smaller communities where they are seen as an unelected leader
Some, yes
For the vast majority of us? No
For those who practice a religion that has priests, yes. For everyone else, no.
Religious leaders can be, yes. Whether they’re Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, etc, they can play an important role in their communities and the lives of the people in their congregation.
Many of us have very little contact with Catholic churches or priests. Protestantism is more common in the US than Catholicism, so we’re more likely to invite our pastor over for supper in the evening.
But the ‘no religion’ group is large too, and many people don’t have regular contact with a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam at all.
No
Most Americans aren’t catholic and never interact with priests. Those who are will have varying relationships with priests that range from seeing them on Christmas and Easter from the back of the sanctuary to having them over for dinner and consulting them on all major life decisions.
I was raised Catholic, and I never saw our priest outside of church.
Not personally, no. But then again, I’m not Catholic.
I was not born in the US but grew up here.
In my 30 years of growing up Catholic in Chicago, I have never seen Irish or Italian Catholics hire priests for anything beyond baptisms, weddings, funerals, and giving last rites.
However, my Eastern Euro and Latino friends’ families all have a priest come bless their house annually, and sometimes stop by around the holidays for dinner.
Some even consult priests instead of therapists during difficult times in their lives.
I’m not Catholic, so not at all. I don’t know if I’ve even ever met a Priest.
Very religion and locality dependent. Personally I don’t think I’ve ever met a priest. Just seen them on TV and in movies.
Only if you’re a fairly devout Catholic, which isn’t a ton of people here (it’s not the biggest Christian denomination).
No
Not for my generation (X). My parents, maybe a little. Grandparents, definitely. America tends to dilute religions to almost nothing in three generations.
Not in the life of any American that I know but I’m sure they are to some people.
No
Only the ones I’m related to
Most Americans aren’t Catholic. I’m Catholic and still no, since I’m not that active in Church activity and the parish priest is older than my dad.
I am friends with a monk, but I knew him before he entered religious life.
Nope.
No, but I like telling my non catholic friends about the exorcisms I went to because they think it’s just a movie thing and it’s fun to get a kick out of them