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Britain has become a 'Catholic country'
Telegraph.co.uk ^ | 12/23/07 | Jonathan Wynne-Jones

Posted on 12/22/2007 7:56:40 PM PST by melt

Roman Catholics have overtaken Anglicans as the country's dominant religious group. More people attend Mass every Sunday than worship with the Church of England, figures seen by The Sunday Telegraph show.

Blair becomes Catholic in private ceremony The changing face of British Christianity Your view: What can the Church of England do to win back worshippers? This means that the established Church has lost its place as the nation's most popular Christian denomination after more than four centuries of unrivalled influence following the Reformation.

Last night, leading figures gave warning that the Church of England could become a minority faith and that the findings should act as a wake-up call.

The statistics show that attendance at Anglican Sunday services has dropped by 20 per cent since 2000. A survey of 37,000 churches, to be published in the new year, shows the number of people going to Sunday Mass in England last year averaged 861,000, compared with 852,000 Anglicans ­worshipping.

The rise of Catholicism has been bolstered by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe and Africa, who have packed the pews of Catholic parishes that had previously been dwindling.

It is part of the changing face of churchgoing across Britain in the 21st century which has also seen a boom in the growth of Pentecostal churches, which have surpassed the Methodist Church as the country's third largest Christian denomination.

Worshipping habits have changed dramatically with a significant rise in attendance at mid-week services and at special occasions - the Church of England expects three million people to go to a parish church over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholics; christianity; europeanchristians; fullcircle; islam; londonistan
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To: All

It brings me sadness when there is posts read that come from posters who argue to the point of flamming. Please, brothers and sisters in the Lord who is coming at Christmas to end the flamming and to realized that not only we have MUCH MORE IN COMMON, but we must speak out against the REAL EVILS that we see in the world. Let us focus on that speak out and work to correct. God Bless all and have a truly Blessed Merry CHRISTmas. Peace.


141 posted on 12/23/2007 7:56:29 AM PST by Biggirl (A biggirl with a big heart for God's animal creation, with 4 cats in my life as proof. =^..^=)
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To: ZULU

...And all this in-fighting is why Islam spread so much through North Africa and the Middle East, areas that were in the majority Christian when Islam first burst into the international scene. Sadly we repeat the same mistakes of in-fighting that was seen in the Eastern Christian churches. Let us not make the same mistake.


142 posted on 12/23/2007 8:01:19 AM PST by Biggirl (A biggirl with a big heart for God's animal creation, with 4 cats in my life as proof. =^..^=)
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To: doc1019
As an evangelical, I don’t hate Catholics … I just think they are wrong in their theology and pray for them daily.

As we pray for you also.

143 posted on 12/23/2007 8:01:51 AM PST by phil1750 (Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
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To: fish hawk
Because I mention Catholics molesting doesn’t mean that I condone Protestant ministers doing the same.

Then why mention it at all? Lots of people from lots of walks of life do terrible things. And as we can see there are a whole lot of Protestant ministers doing it. Priests actually have fewer incidents than most professions that interact with children. So why bring it up and single them out? Unless you are some kind of anti-Catholic bigot looking to tarnish this Faith.

144 posted on 12/23/2007 8:16:25 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the politics in politics.)
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To: Grizzled Bear
If not on this side, we will meet at the throne. I will be wearing a maile lei. LOL I’m 69 (on Jan. 10) with a Santa Clause white beard but I’m hoping the lord makes my new body young.
145 posted on 12/23/2007 8:48:05 AM PST by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism = Monkey Intellect)
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To: melt

Prior to Henry VIII, England was a Catholic country.


146 posted on 12/23/2007 8:48:17 AM PST by reg45
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To: ReignOfError

Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with Bushmill’s and Guinness on March 17th?

Go and so do, my good man! I’ll be joining ye with a toast of Jameson on that most blessed of holydays, my glass fully charged to the muzzle!

:^)


147 posted on 12/23/2007 8:53:14 AM PST by elcid1970
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To: ElkGroveDan
Even though many molest children, go back and read the papers from the last 10 years and see if the Catholic priests are mentioned and pointed out 1000% more than anyone else. Maybe the reason for that is because they are supposed to be an example of clean living or the MSM is on a vendetta after them. In either case there is plenty of proof there that the Catholics have a BIG problem. That is why I mention it. I’m finding out that Catholics also have very thin skin. Whether it is because they doubt their own religion, I don’t know. Instead of just admitting the problem they call you bigot and prejudice. Why not insist that the bad priest get their butts kicked instead of paying millions every year and just transferring the priest to another district.
148 posted on 12/23/2007 8:57:10 AM PST by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism = Monkey Intellect)
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To: fish hawk
In either case there is plenty of proof there that the Catholics have a BIG problem.

Go back and read the link I sent you. Protestants have a BIG problem too.

149 posted on 12/23/2007 9:04:07 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the politics in politics.)
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To: ElkGroveDan

Just deny it and it wont exist.


150 posted on 12/23/2007 9:06:20 AM PST by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism = Monkey Intellect)
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To: melt; NYer; Cacique
I thought that the Catholics had (in terms of mass attendence, if not baptisms) surpassed the C of E 20 years ago. Nevertheless, I am not surprised by this news.

BTW: Henry VIII was really after Church property ya know. Had not much to do with divorce or theology.

151 posted on 12/23/2007 9:08:28 AM PST by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Gay State Conservative

There was a huge wave of Irish into the UK following the potato famine and they were the largest ethnic group on the East End of London and in much of Liverpool for many decades following. Many English Catholics are descendants of this wave, and there has been an ebb and flow of immigration from Ireland to England and Scotland ever since.


152 posted on 12/23/2007 9:10:34 AM PST by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: fish hawk

Why stop there? How many Catholic drunk drivers killed people last year? How many Catholic bankers foreclosed on homes of poor people with young children right before Christmas? I bet there were a whole bunch of both. If you are going to make your point, pull out all the stops.

Meanwhile, be careful not to bump your halo as you go through the doorway.


153 posted on 12/23/2007 9:13:27 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the politics in politics.)
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To: ElkGroveDan

Did you miss Mass this morning? Probably because you had your head in the sand.


154 posted on 12/23/2007 9:18:15 AM PST by fish hawk (The religion of Darwinism = Monkey Intellect)
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To: NYer
Christ stated that the Church, not Scripture should be the final authority: "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matthew 18:17 )

And where did the church get it's information??? From the scriptures, of course...

1Jo 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Christ did not state to refer to or consult Scripture for disputes and correction. He said to go to the Church as It is the final authority in Christianity.

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Gee Whiz...Scripture means nothing to you people...You can read it with your own two eyes and then just go on and ignore what it says...That's quite a religion you got...

In addition, St. Paul states that the Church, not Scripture is "THE pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)

That's not what Paul said...Paul said that God was the pillar and ground of the truth...And you can compare that with any number of scriptures...

Besides, if what your church taught you was correct, how do you explain why Paul would have to write (scripture) to the church to correct it (with scripture)???

1Ti 3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Paul had to write scripture to the church since he couldn't be there in person to instruct the church...

The church is not the pillar and ground of the truth, God's scripture and God are...

155 posted on 12/23/2007 9:41:28 AM PST by Iscool
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To: Doc91678
England a catholic nation again. Get out of town. What will the King say?

I'm sure the actual King of England (a staunch Catholic) would say "wunderbar".

156 posted on 12/23/2007 10:56:42 AM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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To: arthurus
It’s the “and such” which is the problem.

The Magisterium adds on to the teaching of Scripture itself. Although much of the Roman Church’s teaching is valuable and instructive, it cannot be placed on the same level of the Word of God. It is the teaching of fallible men reflecting on the infallible Word.

In addition, we do not accept any intermediary between God and fallen man but Christ Jesus. This debate can go on forever. The Protestant confessions state our doctrinal position, and they don’t differ much in basics:

Man is fallen. We cannot and do not chose the things of God unless God draw us through the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus. Grace is a free gift of God, given through Christ’s merit, and nothing we can earn. We do not cooperate with His workings, but by the Holy Spirit we are made anew and can serve Him imperfectly.

Scripture is sufficient and the sole source of infallible inspiration. The difference in Protestant confessions tends to be on the nature of the Sacraments. We Lutherans believe there are only two, based on our observations of Scripture: Baptism and Communion.

Much rightly divides us. We cannot share communion in the sacramental sense. However, we Protestants and Catholics can stand together, recite the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, and we must stand together against the secularists and materialists.

I was talking with a friend at Church today - a science teacher - and we both agreed that the election of Benedict XVI is the best thing to happen to Christendom this decade. Between him, the Catholic League and Jim Dobson of Focus on the Family, we have a chance to keep our society from turning to unbelief and being overrun with false belief.

157 posted on 12/23/2007 11:13:31 AM PST by GAB-1955 (Kicking and Screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven.)
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To: InMemoriam

Excellent! In this case, I would be one of those who cannot believe the Catechism of the Catholic Church — but I stand on the Book of Concord!


158 posted on 12/23/2007 11:15:01 AM PST by GAB-1955 (Kicking and Screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven.)
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To: GAB-1955

Well, not literally, anyway. My feet are too big for that, and it would hurt my arches.


159 posted on 12/23/2007 11:15:33 AM PST by GAB-1955 (Kicking and Screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven.)
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To: ZULU; ReignOfError
I think it would be better for the Catholic Church to allow marriages for secular priests and maintain celibacy for the “regular orders” like monks.

Many people are not aware that the Catholic Church is both Western and Eastern. There are 22 different Catholic Traditions, including Byzantine, Armenian, Coptic, Chaldean, Melkite, Maronite, Ukrainian, and Ruthenian that make up the One, Holy, Catholic Church. Celibacy is a discipline of the Latin (Western) but not the Eastern Churches. Even in the Latin Church, there are married priests - former Protestant ministers who converted.

However a married priesthood brings new problems, as has been attested by some of these former Protestant ministers and Eastern Catholic leaders. At the 11th General Synod held at the Vatican in 2005, the topic of celibacy was addressed. Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, who is Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon--a Catholic rite which allows for married priests--addressed the issue.

Vatican City, Oct. 07, 2005 (CNA) - The Cardinal defended the practice of the celibate priesthood and discussed the beauty of the tradition, calling it the "most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church."

While pointing out that "the Maronite Church admits married priests" and that "half of our diocesan priests are married", the Cardinal Patriarch said that "it must be recognized that if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."

"A married priest", he said, "has the duty to look after his wife and family, ensuring his children receive a good education and overseeing their entry into society. ... Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.

He noted that "married priests have perpetuated the faith among people whose difficult lives they shared, and without them this faith would no longer exist."

"On the other hand," he said, "celibacy is the most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church,"


160 posted on 12/23/2007 11:17:50 AM PST by NYer ("Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" - Ignatius of Antioch)
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