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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon Oct 8th, 2007 10:38 pm |
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Rome, Oct. 8, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The world's Catholic population is growing fastest in Africa and Asia, according to an annual compilation of statistics provided by the Fides news agency.
The world's Catholic population grew 16.6 million in the most recent year, Fides reports. The figures show a rise of 4.65 million in the number of Catholics in Africa, 3.08 million in Asia, and 6.83 million in the Americas-- which are treated as a single continent by Vatican statisticians.
Fides, an arm of the Congregation for Evangelization, offers a summary of figures each year, providing a picture of Church activity particularly in mission fields, for World Mission Sunday. The latest report reflects statistics compiled at the end of the 2005 calendar year: the most recent statistics available on a worldwide basis.
The number of priests worldwide increased only slight: by 520, to reach a total of 406,411. But that growth was uneven; Africa and Asia saw a substantial increase in the number of priests (nearly 3,000 combined), while Europe lost 1,699 priests and the Americas lost 639. As a result, the number of Catholics per priest rose substantially in Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, while dropping in Africa and Asia.
Similarly, the number of seminarians preparing for the priesthood rose in Africa and Asia, by a combined total of over 1,500, but dropped significantly in Europe (443) and slightly (7) in Oceania. In the Americas the seminary population rose by 210, mostly in Latin American countries.
The above article is reposted from Catholic World News.
Last edited on Mon Oct 8th, 2007 10:40 pm by
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Credo Catholic
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Posted: Mon Oct 8th, 2007 11:51 pm |
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CajunRick wrote: The number of priests worldwide increased only slight: by 520, to reach a total of 406,411. But that growth was uneven; Africa and Asia saw a substantial increase in the number of priests (nearly 3,000 combined), while Europe lost 1,699 priests and the Americas lost 639. As a result, the number of Catholics per priest rose substantially in Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, while dropping in Africa and Asia.
The above article is reposted from Catholic World News.
Do the declining figures include retirements and deaths of priests? Let's all say a prayer tonight for vocations.
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Tue Oct 9th, 2007 01:54 am |
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Credo Catholic wrote:
Do the declining figures include retirements and deaths of priests? Let's all say a prayer tonight for vocations.
Yes, they do. I checked this out years ago: previous figure plus new members minus departures equals current figure. What this article is reporting is the difference figure, which is new members minus departures. Then it gives the new figure.
Yes, a prayer for vocations. Very important. And let us not forget that we ourselves will be as good as the priests who serve us. So a prayer, too, for the priests already ordained.
David
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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Oct 9th, 2007 10:04 am |
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Credo Catholic wrote: Do the declining figures include retirements and deaths of priests? Let's all say a prayer tonight for vocations.
I'm not sure if the numbers include "retirement", since most priests who retire are relieved of parish responsibility but remain in ministry, at least part-time. They relieve priests who are sick or on vacation, serve as administrators of parishes who's pastors are on sabbatical or extended sick leave, etc. While I can't say for certain, I would think that any priest who is still exercising sacramental ministry, even if "retired", would be counted among active priests.
I'm pretty certain that those who are no longer active in ministry for health reasons are removed from the "active" category. I do think the number is as close as we can get to an answer to "How many priests are there?".
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Credo Catholic
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Posted: Tue Oct 9th, 2007 12:03 pm |
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Our bulletin this Sunday said our parish has two seminarians right now, and a third young man who is "testing" his vocation with a very strict cloister of monks in Vermont. I have read that St. Therese of Lisieux prayed especially for vocations and for the priesthood especially. She is my patron saint and maybe that's why I feel a connection to them. 
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Wed Oct 10th, 2007 01:34 am |
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As a supplement to Rick’s article, these statistics on troubled priests may give a fuller picture.
David
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