U.S. Catholics less likely than Protestants to express confidence in advice from clergy

Most U.S. adults who attend religious services express at least some confidence in their clergy’s advice on a range of questions, including religious, personal and political topics. But a recent Pew Research Center survey finds that Catholics have considerably less confidence than Protestants – and are less likely to claim a close relationship with their clergy. Among U.S. adults who attend religious services at least a few times a year, Catholics (61%) are less likely than Protestants (78%) to say they have at least a “somewhat” close relationship with their clergy. And just 8% of Catholics say they are “very” close with their clergy, compared with a quarter of Protestants.