Posted on 12/04/2020 7:52:11 PM PST by marshmallow
CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2020 / 08:20 am MT (CNA).- Bishops in Switzerland lamented Wednesday a record exodus of Catholics from the Church in 2019.
In a statement after their virtual plenary assembly Dec. 2, the bishops acknowledged new figures showing that last year saw the highest annual number of “church exits” on record.
They noted that the statistics, compiled by the Swiss Institute for Pastoral Sociology in St. Gallen, showed that older people were also leaving the Church.
“The bishops believe that the pandemic could accelerate this development in the coming months,” the statement said.
“The trend is worrying and will bring about changes in the medium to long term. Nevertheless, the bishops affirm that the Church as the Body of Christ is much more than a collection of facts and figures.”
The new figures, released Nov. 19, revealed that the Catholic Church lost 31,772 members in 2019 -- equivalent to 1.1% of the total membership of the Catholic Church in Switzerland.
This marked a 25% increase on the previous year, when 25,366 people left.
Researchers noted sharp differences in the departure rates of the country’s 26 cantons, or member states of the Swiss Confederation.
“The cantons of Geneva, Valais, Neuchâtel and Vaud have practically no departures, a fact that can be explained by the different church tax systems. In the cantons of French-speaking Switzerland, the motive of leaving the Church in order to save taxes is not applicable,” wrote Urs Winter-Pfändler, scientific project manager at the Swiss Institute for Pastoral Sociology.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
Maybe the Catholic Church should try teaching the traditional Catholic faith for a change
Pope Che isn’t helping.
Pope Marx’ fault....
This is a solid approach to handling the priest shortage.
The Swiss believe in Christ?
Yep. The joke of the pope is a major reason for the papal decline. Who needs Marxism with a Catholic garnish when the real thing is so widely available?
gee, in gynocentric switzerland?
i’m not shocked
The Communist Pope is reaping what he has sown by alienating the faithful. But let’s not forget that it took 2/3 of the council of Cardinals to elect him...and certainly he was a known quantity to them.
The Church has been losing members for a long time, Francis has accelerated that.
The problem with the Catholic Church today is that it just isn’t ‘Catholic’ anymore.
Heck, it really is not even Christian either.
Just walk around Creighton and you can feel the pink mafia / Jesuit / feminine gay vibes.
It’s done.
However, it did have a good 2000 year run.
Our pathetic country only lasted around 250 years.
Where’s that blue pill?
The fake Pope says you can just worship Pachamama instead. It’s all the same.
I am still Catholic. It is the pope and his buds who have changed.
the pope has left us, we haven’t left the pope or the church...
“They noted that the statistics, compiled by the Swiss Institute for Pastoral Sociology in St. Gallen, showed that older people were also leaving the Church.”
When you’ve lost those closest to meeting their judgment, you’re screwed. I suspect these are the people who put their faith in the hierarchy most when abuse occurred, and truly believed in preventing scandal for the Church - and therefore feel the most betrayed. A co-worker described how an elderly mother who had been going to Mass daily stopped altogether; the hierarchy has much to answer for.
Peronist Pope, waddaya expect?
Reverse Vatican II and problem solved.
Note - the church has been through worse
AD 64-67 — the great tribulation when the Pharisees (local scholars) and the Sadducees (temple authorities) AND the ROman state all decided that the Jesus movement should be exterminated.
Diocletian persecution
450 AD to 550 AD The rise of Arian warlords ruling over the Roman peoples in the West.
640 AD - the Arabs taking over the heart of Christendom
1073 - Manzikert plus the destruction of the Holy Church of the Sepulchre
1453
1689
And yet it survived. Not due to anything the Church did. Not due to any bishop or Pope. In fact many times it survived DESPITE the efforts of damned bishops.
It will survive this as well - because Christ wills that His Bride, that the New Jerusalem, that the Kingdom of Heaven will grow, even through setbacks
I note that the instance of youngsters leaving religion is true not only among Catholics or Protestants (even Evangelicals) or Orthodox, but this is also true in Islam - 8% of Saudi Arabia say they are atheist, and Iran even more. In India among Hindus the rise of atheists is in double digits.
What’s happening? The world is saying there is no need for God/gods. This is a global phenomenon across cultures and religions
There’s always the Old Regular Baptists in Appalachia.
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