Posted on 02/21/2010 2:19:18 PM PST by NYer
.- The number of Catholics worldwide rose by 19 million from 2007 to 2008 according to the Vatican almanac presented to the Pope on Saturday morning. The 2010 "Annuario Pontifico," or Pontifical Yearbook, which offers a variety of other statistics concerning religious and lay faithful in the Universal Church, also reports an increase in seminarians.
The 2010 Pontifical Yearbook was presented to the Holy Father on Saturday morning by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Archbishop Fernando Filoni. It was edited under the direction of Msgr. Vittorio Formenti, who is in charge of the Central Office of Church Statistics, and Professor Enrico Nenna.
The "Annuario Pontifico" details the administrative actions of Pope Benedict during the year 2009, including his creation of nine new episcopal sees and a prelature, a new diocese and the appointments of 169 new bishops.
Besides statistics from 2009, it also offers information valid up to 2008 on the 2,945 ecclesiastic districts in the Catholic Church all over the globe, including the statistic that there are now 1.166 billion baptized Catholics in the world, comprising 17.4 percent of all people.
The yearbook also documents changes in the numbers of religious among the five continents recognized by the Holy See. North and South America are considered as one continent and Antarctica is not taken into account.
The total number of bishops around the world in 2008 was 5,002, which marked a 1.13 percent overall increase, with the only decrease coming in Oceania. The number of priests in the world rose from 405,178 in the year 2000 to 409,166 in 2008. Just over 47 percent of the priests serve in Europe, compared to 30 percent in America, 13.2 in Asia, 8.7 in Africa and 1.2 in Oceania.
As a point of reference, in the year 2000, European clergy figured in at 51.5 percent of world numbers.
The number of consecrated religious decreased from 801,185 in the year 2000 to 739,067 in 2008, with there being 17.6 percent fewer in Europe, a drop of 12.9 percent in America and 14.9 percent in Oceania, while the number in Africa and Asia have risen by double digit percentages points.
There was an increase in seminarians in the Catholic Church from 115,919 in 2007 to 117,024 in 2008, in which Africa, Asia and Oceania enjoyed increases while Europe's numbers dropped by 4.3 percent and America's figures remained nearly the same.
The 2010 Pontifical Yearbook is published by the Vatican Press and will soon be on sale.
Ping!
**There was an increase in seminarians in the Catholic Church from 115,919 in 2007 to 117,024 in 2008, in which Africa, Asia and Oceania enjoyed increases while Europe’s numbers dropped by 4.3 percent and America’s figures remained nearly the same.**
I am aware of where the vocations are coming from so I am very encouraged that the American numbers remained about the same......in my book they are increasing slightly. Stay tuned!
Catholics (World Population)
1,116,000,000 (17.4%)
Priests (Increase)
409,166 (0.01%)
Seminarians (Increase)
117,024 (1.0%)
I think there is an increasing demand for seminarians of the pre-Vatican II liturgy.
ah but the US press won’t notice it...the “new” Catholics aren’t white yuppies.
See Jenkin’s book on the New Christianity...
And of course, the explosion of Christian house churches in China is another unreported story.
I believe you intended to say that there is an increase in demand for seminarians who choose to celebrate the liturgy according to the traditional Latin Mass. To this, I would add, that younger priests who celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Catholic Churches, are also formed in a very traditional and reverent celebration.
Yes.
Several of the young men in discernment for the Diocese of Worcester are Colombian. We had an Assoc. Pastor a few years ago who was from Colombia, and he was such a blessing to the young people in our Parish because he was just on fire for the Lord, and was, at the same time, very approachable and likable to the middle and high school kids in the Parish. The young men from Colombia are now studying English here, and getting ready to attend college. We also have several Vietnamese and Laotian young men in discernment here.
Just wondering if there’s a particular reason the title is using the term “Universal Church”? The article then goes on to speak of the Catholic Church specifically.
I believe all true Christians are part of the universal church of Jesus Christ and that the word catholic is supposed to mean universal, but obviously not all Christians are members of the Catholic Church (under the pope of Rome).
Please clarify the use of this term in the title. I haven’t seen it used this way before on the RF.
The Holy Spirit...
Well, if you follow the pope’s teaching, you are certainly part of the Universal Church established by Christ.
But if you don’t follow the pope’s teaching, then it is hard to know what you are part of. You may actually be following Christ, or you might not be.
The Bible is a book that does not specifically address many things in life - and so an actual authority is needed to teach definitively in accord with the truth found in the Gospel. If there is more than one final earthly authority, unity is impossible. Only those who share the same final earthly authority can have unity.
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I agree with your sentiment. It is true that Catholic means “universal”, but in today’s world such usage is misleading, especially when the topic is demographical.
May the true Catholics increase. May the heresies decrease.
Whew! Thank you, I was trying to say it without tripping anybody’s defensive mechanisms. :o)
“The number of consecrated religious decreased from 801,185 in the year 2000 to 739,067 in 2008, with there being 17.6 percent fewer in Europe, a drop of 12.9 percent in America and 14.9 percent in Oceania, while the number in Africa and Asia have risen by double digit percentages points.”
There are wide differences in the rates of change in these important charisms of the Church.
**I think there is an increasing demand for seminarians of the pre-Vatican II liturgy.**
Very much so.
We have a newly ordained priest here in Oregon who has started a Latin Novus Ordo Mass and will slowly transform it into a Tridentine Mass. It’s once a month right now, but it will grow, I’m sure. He sees it being a weekly Mass and then a daily Mass — can you imagine a Tridentine right here in my little capitol city?
Wowsies!
**I would add, that younger priests who celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Catholic Churches, are also formed in a very traditional and reverent celebration.**
We had a priest ordained last year that was ordained in both the Latin rite and the Maronite rite. Wondering if I shared that with you. I have no idea at this time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at Saint Sharbel in Portland.
**May the true Catholics increase. May the heresies decrease.**
Amen to that prayer!
The numbers you posted are indicators of why the Pope has sent teams to check out all the convents. American nun (some of them) are not happy about this.
Guess they forgot about their vow of obedience.
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