Competition Within the Church: Market Entry and the Rise of Traditional Catholicism in the United States

The Catholic Church enacted broad reforms after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), notably to the liturgies that Catholics must attend every Sunday. However, there has been a revival of pre-Vatican II practices recently, such as the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). We explore the role played in this resurgence by the entry of a traditionalist Catholic competitor (the Society of Saint Pius X) in the market for religious services. Using data from the continental United States, we show that the presence of SSPX chapels significantly increases the availability of TLMs, particularly on Sundays when attendance at a Mass is required. We also find evidence that the effect is strongest at a local level and that it has intensified over time, possibly due to Pope Benedict XVI's liberalization of TLM celebrations in 2007.