Four out of five people believe the Church’s position is wrong with feelings even stronger among the under-35s.

The survey by international lobby group Catholics for Choice gauged the opinion in predominantly Catholic countries including Mexico, Ghana and the Philippines.

Independent market researchers Belden Russonello and Stewart interviewed 829 people in Ireland where only 40% said they heard priests talk about condoms.

It supports an Irish Examiner/Red C poll last week, which found the majority of Catholics disagreed with the Church on the issues of contraception, divorce and same-sex marriages.

President of Catholics for Choice Jon O’Brien said the results revealed the Vatican was out of touch.

He said it was a warning for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which recently criticised the decision to lower the VAT rate on condoms.

“I think if you are a priest working at a pastoral level with real people the idea of getting up on a Sunday and telling them that condoms are bad does not work.

“I think priests understand this and sense that people have moved on but this cannot be seen by the hardliners in the Vatican and in the bishop’s conference,” he said.

During his papacy Pope Benedict XVI has been critical of those who undermine morals by trying to renegotiate right and wrong.

Mr O’Brien, who represents lay Catholics, said this is a self-defeating position.

“The condom issue is a pro-life issue.

“Condoms are saving lives. Catholics are in control of so much of the healthcare in Africa and this stance is wrong,” he said.

Here a separate group, Voice of the Faithful, has formed to speak up against the Church on behalf of lay people.

Its co-ordinator, Sean O Conaill, said while it does not take a stand on doctrinal issues, like condoms or celibacy, it wants the Church hierarchy to release some control to lay people.

Mr O’Conaill said if the Church is to learn from its mistakes it has to include people with the professional and personal experience especially in areas of child protection.

“We are never given the opportunity to discuss the future of the Church.

“You forget that everybody who was abused in places like Ferns was a Catholic.

“These are our people and our children and they deserve our protection.

“It depends too much on where bishops are with their own accountability and if they are able to cope with lay people being adult and being involved in taking responsibility,” he said.

The Irish Examiner/Red C poll revealed 61% of people who gave an opinion said they did not have faith in the Church’s child protection measures.

In Washington, Mr O’Brien said there was no “adult discussion” going on within the Church on critical issues.

He said in the long run the Church would isolate itself if it took a hard line on these moral issues.