A Faculty of Theology survey has indicated that people were open to taking their spiritual activities online during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the majority missed going to Mass and do not believe that churches have become irrelevant.

Researchers conducted the study in November 2020 and received responses from 1102 people. The survey questions were distributed among University of Malta administration staff,  Junior College students, as well as the public via Facebook.

Churches were closed between March and June 2020 and March and April 2021.

The vast majority of survey respondents (65 per cent) were women and responses were split into five different age groups. 

Some 71 per cent of respondents said they attended church prior to the pandemic, but some 28 per cent of those age 39 and under said they rarely or never attended church. 

Researchers found that while God and spirituality remained important to most, an emerging trend among the younger cohorts showed a pull away from these beliefs. 

While an average of 81 per cent of all age groups agreed that life made sense because of God, only 42 per cent of youth agreed with that statement. Similarly, 82 per cent of the other cohorts said religion was important, but only 45 per cent of youth responded in the affirmative. Some 46 per cent of young people answered that they did not consider themselves to be religious persons. 

An average of 77 per cent said they did not feel angry at God because of the pandemic, 74 per cent did not feel that God was unfair and an overwhelming majority (90 per cent) did not believe the pandemic was a punishment from God. However half of participants believed that the pandemic was “nature’s way of taking revenge”. 

Difficulties in personal life caused by the pandemic

The survey found that the pandemic caused a number of difficulties in people’s personal life, with 77 per cent reporting feeling anxious, 74 per cent stressed, 69 per cent exhausted, and 63 per cent 'resigned' throughout the pandemic. 

When it came to personal relationships, 78 per cent felt they had become closer to the family and over half (51 per cent) felt closer to others as a result of the partial lockdown. 

When asked if they had felt closer to God throughout the experience, 70 per cent of older groups said that they did, but 52 per cent of youths said they did not. 

The majority of retired and senior respondents (76 per cent) said that they missed going to church, while only 10 per cent of youths responded likewise. Five per cent of seniors missed receiving the Eucharist while only 33 per cent of youths said they missed receiving the sacrament. 

However as the threat of pandemic dwindles more are open to resuming regular services. Some 44 per cent of respondents said they intended to resume church services in person, with 28 per cent saying they would sometimes continue to worship online and 28 per cent who say they will do without worship.