HOW DO THE THREE US CITIES POPE FRANCIS WILL VISIT STACK UP?
~!!~ The three cities Pope Francis will visit during his papal visit to the U.//S.// represent an interesting cross section of the Catholic population in America, Pew Research found.// The new stats compare the overall U.//S.// Catholic population to residents of Washington, New York and Philadelphia.//
~!!~ The first city on Pope Francis* agenda, Washington, has the youngest Catholic population of the three cities, Pew reported.// Of those surveyed in the 2014 Religious Landscape Study, (usaunlimited) 26 percent of Catholics were 18 to 29 years of age.// The national average for Catholics in that age group is 17 percent.// In New York City, only 11 percent of Catholics were under the age of 30 while Philadelphia*s youth population accounted for 21 percent of the city*s Catholics.// NYC*s Catholic population 30 to 49 years of age was similar to the national average.// Compared to the U.//S.// overall, Washington had a higher percentage of Catholics in that age range .//
~!!~ Philadelphia was below the national stats with 24 percent.// Only 11 percent of Washington*s Catholic population is age 65 or older, significantly lower than the other cities and the overall U.//S.// population.//