Colm O'Connor: New census religion question offers scope for change

Religious influence on our publicly funded schools and hospitals is often defended because of the high numbers who declare they are Catholics in our population survey

In the 2016 census, 78% of respondents identified as Roman Catholic

On Sunday evening, Census 2022 will take place. Most questions cover factual matters such as our ages and professions, but Question 12 stands out as different, as it asks us about our spiritual beliefs.

For the first time, the traditional wording of ‘What is your religion?’ has been replaced with ‘What is your religion, if any?’.