Data Check: Catholic Population Changes and New Ordinations

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate ^ | 4/28/15 | Mark M. Gray

[marshmallow]

Two recent news stories caught our eye at CARA. The first reports on “declining membership” in the Catholic Church and the second on an “increase in ordinations” in the United States:

“Even though the membership of the Catholic Church in the U.S. has been declining in the past two decades, the billow of Hispanic immigrants to the U.S. has sustained the church and helped keep parishes across the country open.” -Albuquerque Journal

“Almost 600 Catholic men will be ordained priests for the U.S. in 2015, an increase of more than 100 from last year.”-The Washington Times

Both of these stories contain some factual elements and they also both manage to be quite flawed reflections of reality...

1. Has “the membership of the Catholic Church” in the United States “been declining” in recent decades?

No it certainly has not. Membership represents the total population of persons who are Catholic (baptized and self-identifying as Catholic) and there has not been any decline in the membership of the Catholic Church in the United States since reliable data became available after World War II.

Has immigration added to Catholic numbers in the United States? Yes; as it always has. Not only does immigration increase the number of Catholics, it increases the numbers of many groups in the U.S. today and is a significant and growing force behind the country’s overall population growth as fertility rates have fallen below replacement levels.

The figure below shows survey estimates from the General Social Survey (GSS) on the size of the adult Catholic population of the United States by place of birth. Fluctuations survey to survey are largely reflections of margin of error. However, the long-term trend line generally slopes up for both those born in the United States and.....

[Salvation]

[RnMomof7]

The billow of Hispanic immigrants to the U.S. has sustained the church and helped keep parishes across the country open.” -Albuquerque Journal

All the illegals that we will get to support....I wonder if they "confess" they are stealing form the people of America ??

[marshmallow]

Send 'em back.

Cut your own grass and pick your own oranges.

[SoConPubbie]

Send 'em back.

Cut your own grass and pick your own oranges.

Amen to that!

However, one thing you will never hear a Priest say is how illegals are stealing tax-payer provided services that morally they have no right to.

[marshmallow]

LOL........I guess the sarcasm in my post was lost.

In my neck of the woods, most of the welfare recipients are born in the good ol' US of A.

All the yard guys, construction workers and roofers are Mexicans.

[SoConPubbie]

All the yard guys, construction workers and roofers are Mexicans.

And all those yard guys, construction workers, roofers, and fast-food workers are sucking at the teat of government provided social services and taking tax-payer provided services they have no right to morally because they aren't here legally, for the most part.

[ansel12]

True, the Mexicans have destroyed so many fields of work.

When they come in they work cheaper and create a hostile work place, and as Americans leave, they replace that job with one of their own.

If you haven’t watched the process, it is something to see, Mexicans are a tough, violent, and aggressive lot in taking what they want. It is too bad that they degrade and ruin the quality of every field that they have entered.

Their girlfriends and illegitimate kids collect tax money while the men work under the table.

[marshmallow]

When they come in they work cheaper .....

The lowest bidder gets the contract.

That's capitalism isn't it?

[ansel12]

You can’t be that thick.

They aren’t contractors legally bidding for jobs, they are part of an illegal market that is destroying our communities, our jobs, our work standards, our nation.

You seriously support what has been going on for decades as our nation slips into becoming a third world, and now roofing and construction and landscaping looks like it.

Unskilled illegals.

[marshmallow]

They're being hired by American business and the American public pays them $$$$$.

Sounds like America appreciates them. The market doesn't lie, right?

[ansel12]

If you want to make your case for mass illegal immigration and the democrat party, why not do it, rather than this game?

[marshmallow]

Market realities appear to be a problem for you.

[ansel12]

I notice that you rarely, if ever, venture off of religion to express your support for illegal immigration, and your unique view that it is capitalism and “market realities”, which it isn’t of course.

It would be interesting to learn more about your politics and views about American colonization by Mexico, or just America in general.

America’s destruction is a priority for some here, and those people tend to spend a lot of time in religion.

[ansel12]

From the article: 1. Has “the membership of the Catholic Church” in the United States “been declining” in recent decades?
No it certainly has not. Membership represents the total population of persons who are Catholic (baptized and self-identifying as Catholic) and there has not been any decline in the membership of the Catholic Church in the United States since reliable data became available after World War II.

Tens and tens of millions of Catholics and their offspring imported into America by the democrats, and their numbers stay the same, it sure reveals that Americans are leaving the democrat voting denomination.

[marshmallow]

Business likes cheap labor since it keeps costs down and maximizes profits.

The consumer likes cheap labor since it helps keep prices low.

Sorry you have a problem with that simple concept.

[ansel12]

Corrupt, immoral, anti-American, anti-Christian people support corruption and immorality, and anti-Americanism.

Thanks for all the apologies.

[marshmallow]

Good to know that the profit motive is “anti-American”.