Churches provide best social cohesion

THE HUGE variety of backgrounds, economic circumstances and ethnicities worshipping side by side in Catholic churches has been recognised by new research, writes Joanna Moorhead.

According to a new study by the Social Integration Commission, which examined the social interactions of 4,269 people aged between 13 and 80 years old, churches are the most successful places in Britain to meet a wide variety of people.

It shows that attending a church gives the best chance of interacting with others across lines of age, income and ethnicity. The research found that while sporting events are the best places to bring people together across the age groups, churches were next best. Levels of interaction between people with different incomes is relatively constant across all social events, but in places of worship they were found to be more diverse.

Researchers at the commission seem to have been surprised by the conclusions of the study, though Massgoers may be less so. Matthew Taylor, chairman of the Social Integration Commission, said institutions strongly helped determine how people interact.