Catholic Numbers Tank Globally

Pilgrim Priest ^ | October 31, 2024 | Fr. David Nix

[ebb tide]

Catholic Numbers Tank Globally

Before Vatican II, numbers of Catholics across the globe were exploding.  Consider just a few stats regarding American Catholics as listed in the Index of Leading Catholic Indicators:

• In 1930, the USA had 27,000 priests, but by 1965 that number nearly doubled, bringing the total number of American priests to 58,000.
• In 1930, the United States had 20,203,702 Catholics.  By 1965, that number had sky-rocketed to 45,640,619.  This means Catholics were not just reproducing, but making many converts.
• By 1965, American priests, nuns and lay people had built the world’s largest conglomerate of hospitals, universities, high schools, grade schools and charitable organizations ever seen in the history of a young country.

After Vatican II, Index of Leading Catholic Indicators reveals the following about the Catholic Church in the United States:

• In 1965, there were 1.3 million infant baptisms, but by 2002 that number had dropped to only 1 million.  (This is despite the fact that the number of Catholics in the United States rose from 45M to 65M, partly due to immigration.)
• Between 1965 and 2002, the number of diocesan high schools dropped from 1,566 to 786.
• In 1965, there were 1,575 ordinations to the priesthood but in 2002 there were only 450 American men ordained to the Catholic priesthood.  That is a decline of 350% following Vatican II.

If these tanking numbers were due to simply the sexual-revolution of the 1960s or the scamdemic of the 2020s, then why have so many Catholics left the Church over the last 50 years for Bible-believing Protestant communities all over the world?  Were Protestant communities unaffected by the sexual-revolution or covid?  Rather, something happened interiorly to the Faith in the Catholic Church in the 1960s that made it unattractive to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

In fact, things are even worse over the last decade in the Catholic Church due to idolatry and ultra-leftism emanating from Vatican City:

• Even the Vatican’s own Pontifical Mission Society now admits: “While the Catholic population is growing worldwide, the number of baptisms has declined. It fell from 17,932,891 baptisms worldwide in 1998 to 13,327,037 baptisms in 2022.”
• Catholic Culture reports “Between the end of 2020 and the end of 2021, the number of seminarians worldwide had declined from 111,855 to 109,895.”

Dropping numbers obviously have a moral component, too. For example, predation against children among these Catholic-apostates is no longer hidden—but rather approved—even at an institutional level:

• St. Jude hospital in the US now brings children to Pride parades as reported by Lepanto Institute.
• The Vatican had a drag show for children as LifeSite News reported.

It is almost hilarious that the Vatican in a new document titled Dilexit Nos now names traditional Catholics as the problem:  “The Christian message is attractive when experienced and expressed in its totality: not simply as a refuge for pious thoughts or an occasion for impressive ceremonies. What kind of worship would we give to Christ if we were to rest content with an individual relationship with him and show no interest in relieving the sufferings of others or helping them to live a better life?… The Church also needs that love, lest the love of Christ be replaced with outdated structures and concerns, excessive attachment to our own ideas and opinions, and fanaticism in any number of forms, which end up taking the place of the gratuitous love of God that liberates, enlivens, brings joy to the heart and builds communities.”—Dilexit #205, 219

Both paragraphs imply that traditional Catholics tend to pull-up the drawbridge to a broken world, whereas the social justice warriors are the true missionaries who build communities that endure.  The numbers prove the opposite.  Notice that my recent stats come from “the Pontifical Mission Society,” not a traditionalist website.

In any case, the good news is that the fringe Catholics labeled as “fanatics” who have “impressive ceremonies” are ironically the only ones growing and building a true culture of the Gospel for both rich and poor.   That is, traditional Catholic are growing.  So much for the old accusation that traditionalists are not missionary in spirit.  Thankfully, the true and Apostolic Church is growing, while the counter-church is collapsing.  The conclusion is obvious:  Vatican II auto-destructed the faith of millions of Catholics.  Time to return to the way we always did it in the Catholic Church.

Thanks to Anthony at Return to Tradition who brought the stats found mid-article to us.

[ebb tide]

It is almost hilarious that the Vatican in a new document titled Dilexit Nos now names traditional Catholics as the problem:  “The Christian message is attractive when experienced and expressed in its totality: not simply as a refuge for pious thoughts or an occasion for impressive ceremonies.

...

In any case, the good news is that the fringe Catholics labeled as “fanatics” who have “impressive ceremonies” are ironically the only ones growing and building a true culture of the Gospel for both rich and poor.   That is, traditional Catholic are growing.  So much for the old accusation that traditionalists are not missionary in spirit.  Thankfully, the true and Apostolic Church is growing, while the counter-church is collapsing.  The conclusion is obvious:  Vatican II auto-destructed the faith of millions of Catholics.  Time to return to the way we always did it in the Catholic Church.

[ebb tide]

Ping

[End Times Sentinel]

I’m just spit balling here, but as a Catholic who’s Church left him, I’m thinking maybe a Catholic Pope might be a step in the right direction.
Pope Francis is clearly a tool of the devil sent to destroy our Church.

[Leaning Right]

On the eve of the Russian revolution, the British ambassador told the tsar that he must regain the confidence of the Russian people. “No,” the tsar replied haughtily, “The people must regain my confidence.”

Will the pope behave in a like manner?

[HIDEK6]

One word: VaticanTwo.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Pray. Repent. Hope. Love.

Does God not feed his birds?

Even during the Babylonian exile when his people failed to heed him?
Oh, yea.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[ebb tide]

Does God not feed his birds?

Does Bergoglio not chop down the trees where the birds nest?

[Uncle Miltie]

“pope” Frakie is a gay commie.

Not attractive.

[cnsmom]

Agreed Francis is a huge mistake.

[zeestephen]

Somewhat off topic...

How long has the legal persecution of the Catholic Church for alleged sexual abuse of minors been going on?

From my possibly flawed memory...

Since the early 1980s?

In recent decades, the enriched plaintiffs in these civil lawsuits are permanently anonymous!

The only "proof" they need is some verifiable connection to the Catholic Church during their childhood.

[Tired of Taxes]

I don’t believe the decline had much to do with either Vatican II or traditionalists.

Yes, the stories of child abuse chased people away.

But, IMHO, here are the biggest reasons for the decline:

(1) Public school is “free.”
I went to Catholic school after Vatican II, and I never questioned Catholic teachings... until I switched to a public high school.
Most parents send their children to public school because they cannot afford parochial school tuition.

(2) Protestant churches have “fun” social gatherings.
Even priests talk about this one. They constantly meet “ex-Catholics” who tell them that Protestant churches have more social events, especially for young people.

Catholic parishes do minister to young people, but they have to make a greater effort. Unfortunately, they’re overwhelmed - not enough priests, not enough volunteers, etc.

[ealgeone]

Can’t imagine why considering all the negative press YOU personally have given the denomination you claim to be a member of.

[Old Yeller]

Surprised Morgana didn’t report this. /sarc

[Old Yeller]

(2) Protestant churches have “fun” social gatherings. Even priests talk about this one. They constantly meet “ex-Catholics” who tell them that Protestant churches have more social events, especially for young people.

At least two Roman churches in my town have Octoberfest celebrations complete with beer gardens. Party on Garth.

[Old Yeller]

Not having as many kids.

[Zionist Conspirator]

It wasn't just Vatican II. It was historical criticism and evolution.

Most Catholics are higher critics and evolutionists, with an absolute hatred of YECs. I was just reading some of their arguments on Reddit the other day and these people who want the church to be more "universal" and "inclusive" would burn "fundamentalists" at the stake if they could.

The thing is, technically, one may still be a Catholic and a YEC (in fact, one can still be a Catholic and a geocentrist), but despite this fact young earth creationism triggers "theistic evolutionists" almost to the point of insanity. The same person who admits it is still technically within the realm of orthodoxy will start screaming about how the YEC is disobeying the magisterium.

And these hypocrites continue to believe every single miracle story in the "new testament" or in the stories of saints even though every single miracle is a violation of the "uniformity of nature" that is the very basis of evolution in the first place.

They also don't seem to care if higher criticism and evolution keep some people from considering Catholicism. They scream about how the church mustn't alienate "rational people" but people who in good conscience simply cannot relegate the Word of G-d to mythology can apparently go straight to Hell and stay there.

If only they were this rough on the homosexualist heretics!