[OLD REGGIE]

How would you know that? Did you keep getting materials for the Bishop’s annual appeal? (That’s the only way of knowing that I can think of). That’s not just a rhetorical question; I’m interested know how reliable the data are.

No matter where I moved it wasn't long before I began receiving material, including my $ envelopes, from the local parish. I believe a baptized Catholic remains on the census rolls until he dies or until he notifies the parish in writing that he has left the Church. (I am not stating this as fact. I simply feel that's the way it works.)

In my case it took a letter and I have received no material from the local parish for more than 8 years.

Frankly, I suspect the census of Protestants and Catholics is suspect because of the differing, and sometimes lax, methods of counting members.

Well, you sure seemed to be desperately holding onto the hope that the Catholic church is dying out in South America, and came back seeming bitterly defensive when I slammed the kooky churches of the Brazilian underclass.

Methinks you have a very wild imagination. Please show me where you got this idea.

[dangus]

>> No matter where I moved it wasn’t long before I began receiving material, including my $ envelopes, from the local parish. I believe a baptized Catholic remains on the census rolls until he dies or until he notifies the parish in writing that he has left the Church. (I am not stating this as fact. I simply feel that’s the way it works.)
In my case it took a letter and I have received no material from the local parish for more than 8 years. Frankly, I suspect the census of Protestants and Catholics is suspect because of the differing, and sometimes lax, methods of counting members. <<

I can’t for the life of me understand how you could MOVE and be registered in your NEW parish without taking some action to become registered. Perhaps the diocese you were in figured you hadn’t meant to drop out of the church just because you moved, but I can’t believe they actually had you down as a member of a parish you never attended. BTW, it makes the parish look bad to claim you as a registered catholic, but to not receive any funds from you, not have you as a congregant, etc... it says to the bishop that they have failed to actvate a local Catholic... Or did you just move within the parish repeatedly?

>> Frankly, I suspect the census of Protestants and Catholics is suspect because of the differing, and sometimes lax, methods of counting members. <<

Yes, but the decline in offical records matched exactly the decline in the survey’s data, so if the Brazilian Catholic Church lags removing Catholics from their rolls, all that mean is that the turnaround happened even earlier. Which I highly doubt.