Sarah Mitchell
Catholics make up a significant proportion of Congress, with around 28-30% of members identifying as Catholic. This is a larger share than in the US population overall (21%). The number of Catholics in Congress has been on the rise, with a roughly 50% increase since the Kennedy administration, and they have been the single largest religious denomination in Congress in recent years. The House has a higher percentage of Catholics (31%) than the Senate (24%).
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What You'll Learn
- Catholics make up 28% of Congress, the largest religious group
- There are 141 Catholics in the House and 22 in the Senate
- Democrats are more likely to be Catholic than Republicans
- There are more Catholics in Congress than in the US population
- Catholic lawmakers have a broad worldview and diverse political views
Catholics make up 28% of Congress, the largest religious group
Catholics have risen to prominence in Congress, with 28% of the 118th Congress identifying as Catholic, the largest religious group. This amounts to 148 members, a drop of 10 from the previous Congress, which had 158 Catholic members. This is a notable increase from the 87th Congress, where Catholics made up 19% of the legislative body.
The Catholic presence in Congress is larger than their share of the overall US population, which is 21%. The rise of Catholics in Congress has outpaced the number of followers of the faith in the nation. The Pew Research Center in 2019 found that only 20% of Americans identified as Catholic, compared to 29% of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The number of Catholics in Congress has risen by roughly 50% since the Kennedy administration.
The Catholic faith has a long history in the United States, with many territories having a pre-existing Catholic history under previous governance by Catholic powers like New France and New Spain. The territorial evolution of the United States has meant that many areas that are now part of the country were Catholic in colonial times before they became predominantly Protestant. Anti-Catholicism was a prevalent policy for early English settlers, but this changed with the revolution, and new laws and constitutions gave Catholics religious freedom.
Catholics in Congress are diverse in their political affiliations and ideologies. For example, Catholic lawmakers range from those with strict stances against abortion to progressives who cite their faith in social justice causes. While there are differences among Catholic members of Congress, there is a shared language of faith that can unite them.
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There are 141 Catholics in the House and 22 in the Senate
There are 141 Catholics in the House of Representatives, making up 32% of the chamber. This is a larger share of Congress (28%) than Catholics make up of the overall US population (21%). In the Senate, 22 out of 100 senators are Catholic. This means that Catholics comprise 28% of the seats in the 118th Congress, the largest of any religious affiliation. Overall, Catholics make up 30.5% of Congress, compared to 21% of US adults.
Catholics have risen to prominence in Congress, with seven House committee chairs being Catholic, up from one in the 116th Congress. The rise of Catholics in Congress has outpaced the number of followers of the faith in the nation. In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 29% of lawmakers on Capitol Hill identified as Catholic, compared to 20% of Americans. The number of Catholics in Congress has risen by roughly 50% since the Kennedy administration.
Hispanic Catholics are a growing group within Congress, accounting for 31 of 40 Hispanic House members and four out of five senators. California's Pete Aguilar, a Hispanic Catholic, will be the Democratic Caucus' vice chairman in the House. From a policy standpoint, Catholic lawmakers vary from those known for their strict stances against abortion to progressives who cite their faith in social justice causes.
The Catholic Church has the third-highest total number of local congregations in the US. While religious participation rates are declining, 86% of Catholics still consider religion important in their lives.
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Democrats are more likely to be Catholic than Republicans
Catholics have risen to prominence in Congress, with the number of Catholics in Congress rising by roughly 50% since the Kennedy administration. In the 118th Congress, Catholics make up 28% of seats, the largest of any religious affiliation.
The breakdown between Protestants and Catholics is more evenly divided among Democrats, with 42% being Protestant and 37% Catholic. In contrast, two-thirds of Republicans in Congress are Protestant (67%) and 27% are Catholic. Democrats in Congress are predominantly Christian (80%) but have more religious diversity among non-Christians. The 242 Democrat Congress members include 28 Jews, three Buddhists, three Hindus, two Muslims, and one Unitarian Universalist.
The rise of Catholics in Congress has even outpaced the number of followers of the faith in the nation. The Pew Research Center in 2019 found that only 20% of Americans identified as Catholic, compared to 29% of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The number of Catholics in Congress has grown despite a decline in religious participation rates among Americans who identify as Catholics.
While Catholics continue to dominate much of the rank and file in Congress, there are still prominent Protestant leaders in the 117th Congress, including Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who are all Baptists.
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There are more Catholics in Congress than in the US population
Catholics have risen to prominence in Congress, with some observers noting that their numbers have increased by around 50% since the Kennedy administration. In the 118th Congress, Catholics make up 28% of seats, which is the largest proportion of any religious affiliation. This is a slight decrease from the 116th Congress, which was comprised of 31% Catholics, and the 115th Congress, which was comprised of 30.5% Catholics.
The number of Catholics in Congress is notable, as they comprise a greater share of Congress than they do of the overall US population. In 2023, 21% of the US population identified as Catholic, while in 2019, the Pew Research Center found that only 20% of Americans identified as Catholic. This is in contrast to Congress, where Catholics have consistently been the largest religious denomination, comprising 28% to 32% of seats in recent years.
The rise in the number of Catholics in Congress has been attributed to several factors. One factor is the increasing influence of Catholics in committee gavels, with seven House committee chairs being Catholic in the 117th Congress, up from six in the 116th Congress. Additionally, the election of John F. Kennedy, the first Roman Catholic president, in 1960, is thought to have emboldened generations of Catholics who had previously been marginalized in the political process to seek office.
The religious makeup of Congress often differs from that of the general US population. For example, Protestants comprise 67% of Republicans in Congress but only make up 55% of the Republican Party overall. Similarly, Jews make up 6% of Congress but only 2% of the US adult population. On the other hand, those who are religiously unaffiliated make up 23% of the general public but only 0.2% of the 115th Congress.
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Catholic lawmakers have a broad worldview and diverse political views
The Catholic Church has had a long and complex history in the United States, dating back to the colonial era. Catholics have faced discrimination and marginalisation in the past, but their political influence has grown significantly over the years. In recent times, Catholics have risen to prominence in Congress, comprising around 28% of the 118th Congress, the largest of any religious affiliation. This is a notable increase from the 19% who made up the 87th Congress.
Catholics in Congress represent a diverse range of political views and ideologies. While there are some shared values and a "fundamental shared language of faith", Catholic lawmakers have varying stances on social and political issues. For example, on the topic of abortion, some Catholic lawmakers take a strict stance against it, while others identify as pro-abortion, causing debate about what constitutes a “good Catholic”.
Hispanic Catholics, in particular, are finding a place in Congress as a growing group, with 31 of 40 Hispanic House members and four out of five senators identifying as Catholic. This reflects the increasing Latino element within the Catholic population, which currently stands at 37% and is continuing to grow.
Catholic lawmakers also vary in their political affiliations, with Democrats being more likely than Republicans to identify as Catholic. In the 118th Congress, 65 Democrats and 56 Republicans claimed a Catholic identity. However, it is important to note that the number of Catholic Republicans has also increased, with 55 Catholic Republicans in the previous Congress compared to 48 in the current one.
The rise of Catholics in Congress has been attributed to various factors, including the election of John F. Kennedy, the first Roman Catholic president, in 1960. Kennedy's political ascent emboldened generations of Catholics who had previously been marginalised, leading to a wave of Catholic lawmakers in the following decades. Additionally, the increasing influence of Catholics in committee gavels and leadership positions has contributed to their prominence in Congress.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics make up about 28% of the members of Congress, which equates to 148 members in the 117th Congress and 138 in the 118th Congress.
Congress is dominated by Christians, with 88% of members identifying as Christian. Catholics are the largest religious denomination in Congress, with Protestants making up the second-largest religious bloc. Jews make up a slim majority of the non-Christian members of Congress.
Catholics make up a larger share of Congress than they do the US population, where they account for 21%.
