Silver Spring, Md. — A religious survey of the incoming U.S. Congress shows an all-time high of 67 Roman Catholic Republicans, including six of the nine new Catholics in the House. There are 86 Catholics from the Democratic Party, Catholics' longtime political home.
The biennial survey is conducted by Albert Menendez, of Americans for Religious Liberty and posted on its Web site.
Catholics reached their highest total ever -- 153 -- and remained the largest denominational group. Baptists (72), Methodists (61), Presbyterians (50), Episcopalians (41) and Jews (37) are next.
The 38 new House members include one clergyman, United Methodist Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo.; Jess Fortenberry, R-Neb., who holds a divinity degree from the Catholic Franciscan University, and Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, who attended the Church of the Nazarene theological seminary.
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