Posted on 02/16/2007 11:04:42 AM PST by lizol
Catholics in England outnumber Anglicans
16.02.2007
Poles in the UK are swelling the congregations and changing the face of British Christianity.
Amy Drozdowska reports
In the wake of England's biggest wave of immigration in three centuries, a new report finds that the face of Christianity in England is increasingly international. Polish migrant workers in particular are contributing to a huge growth in London's Catholic community - one that's set to overshadow England's own church.
Thanks in large part to the huge influx of Polish migrant workers to the United Kingdom since Poland's entry into the European Union, Catholicism is set to pass the Church of England as the UK's dominant Christian community.
A team of four scholars from Cambridge University's Von Hugel Institute created a report, responding to London Catholic bishops concerned about the rapidly increasing sizes of their parishes. Leader of the report Francis Davis describes the study:
"So over the past 9 months, we've interviewed over 1000 migrants, new migrants. And we've also done focus groups with them and interviewed their priests, and we've also done special focus groups with young Polish homeless people."
Francis Davis says the study reveals that London's Catholic community is growing dramatically:
"But what also comes with it are some big pastoral problems. so we found out that 35 % of the new Eastern Europeans are being paid under our legal minimum wage... many of them are living in quite difficult housing accomodations..so in one sense what we've learned is something about the dark side of England."
The growing Catholic community presents not only a strain on the resources of local churches, but also a source of tension between the UK's own Christian identity. The growing numbers of Catholics in the UK look to vastly overshadow the Church of England. Francis Davis explains.
"Now, because the Catholic Church is an international church, and the Anglican Church is much less of an international church, we're getting the migrants. So we're increasing in size, but the Anglican Church is declining. Now this does possibly create a problem, because they still claim that they are a church of the nation. And so if you come to Southampton, for example, which is a port city on the south coast, the Anglican rector, vicar, for Southampton will say, I am the church leader for every Southampton citizen. And the Catholic priest will say, but we have 35 thousand Poles in this city, and none of them go to your church. But they come to our churches and they're kneeling in the street. And the rector will say, but I am the English church. But they will say, but Christianity in England is no longer English, it's African, it's South American, it's Eastern European and it's Indian."
Without an effort toward integration between Polish and English Catholics, and between the Anglican and Catholic churches, the scholars who conducted the study foresee tensions arising in the future. A recent letter issued by Polish bishops urged Poles living abroad to avoid integration with the local Christian communities.
Soon to be overtaken by Muslims. Anyhow, Guy Fawkes triumphant at last.
I think I read a little while ago, that catholicism is the fastest growing religion in Norway due to Polish immigration.
Heck, I was even dating a Polish girl last summer. It's all good :-)
Cheers.
Makes sense. The Catholic church under JPII and moreso under BXVI is attempting to stick to traditional teachings.
The anglicans are all over the map.
I pray for reconciliation between Canterbury and Rome. The future of European Christianity itself is in doubt. We can't let minor points of dogma get in the way of unity in opposition to the bloodthirsty Mahometan hordes.
-ccm
It is perhaps possible, but I think it will be some time. The RCC and the Orthodox reconciliation is more likely in the near term.
On the contrary, competition is good for the religion business, one of the reasons why Christianity is much stronger in the US than it is in much of Europe where the Catholic Church has long maintained a monopoly.
I'll bet Henry VIII is upset about this.
The Catholic Church was on its way to passing the Anglican Church in any case, and if it hadn't been for some of the usual problems of dissent and weakness following Vatican II, it would have done so. The Anglican Church, as anyone can see, is a complete mess, and has been so for a long time.
I believe there is some resentment toward the Poles, which is foolish. Better Catholic immigrants than Muslim immigrants. Better immigrants looking for any kind of work than immigrants looking for welfare.
England has always been a nation of energetic immigrants--Angles, Saxons, Danes, Normans--and they will be a lot better off with Poles than with Pakistani and African Muslims.
I recall reading somewhere that Tony Blair may convert to Catholicism once he leaves office. He's already attending Catholic mass on a regular basis.
Maybe us Catholics can start demanding the return of all our churches Henry VIII took from us, especially since the Anglicans apparently no longer have any need of very many of them.
Discounting clergy & 'seculars', are there enough of both left to even fill a decent sized cathedral, in the Great Multicultural Paradise?
His wife and children are Catholics.
When the see the error of their ways, and pay for what they stole, we can take them back.
Time for disestablishment.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Until Henry VIII - ALL Englsih Christians were Catholics.
You can't trust Poles this early.
James II is pleased
Except for the Lollards.
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