Oh Dr. Brain! You are scaring me! Let me yield to your almighty knowledge now!
Quick! If you start with 59,800 priests ('67-'69 peak), and we now have 50% less (sez you), how do we have 48,300 now (official 2003 number last I checked)?
Last time I checked, 48,300/59,800 = 0.808 or 80.8%, and 80.8% is definitely not equal to 50%. Not even close in fact.
Also, if 70% of 47,000,000 Catholics were regular practioners of the faith in that period, and 35% of 65,000,000 Catholics are regular practioners today, how is there a decline per practioner?
Lets run the math 70% of 47 million is 32,900,000. 35% of 65 million is 22,750,000.
59,800 priests for 32,900,000 practioners is 1 priest per 558 practicing Catholics. 48,300 priests for 22,750,000 practioners is 1 priest per 471 Catholics.
WHERE IS THE DECLINE DR. BRAIN? WHERE IS THE CRISIS?
Isn't the real decline a decline of the practice of the faith, which has been seen universally across the west in all religions since the 60's, including those not affected by Vatican II - like say, even the Greek Orthodox in Greece?
Hey Max - look at the company you are attracting! Lovely, isn't it? Piled Higher and Deeper and all that.