In new Catholic numbers, an 'imponderable' movement shaping history

[shrike3]

https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2022/02/in-new-catholic-numbers-an-imponderable-movement-shaping-history

For one thing, the Annuario notes that Catholicism added 16 million new members in 2020, the latest year for which statistics are available. Granted, that meant the church did no more than keep pace with overall global population growth, but it’s still significant at a time when most western perceptions are that the church is shrinking due to the fallout from the sexual abuse crisis, various scandals at senior levels, bitter political infighting, increasing irrelevance to younger generations, and any number of other alleged failures.

snip

Consider that 16 million is more than the entire Catholic population of Canada, and the church added that number of new followers in one year alone, Today, Catholics represent a robust 17.7 percent of everyone on earth.

Second, it’s notable that the vast majority of this growth is outside the western sphere. The Catholic population grew in Africa and Asia in 2020, by 2.1 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. The share of the world’s Catholics who live in Africa has been climbing steadily over recent decades. Africa alone shot up from 1.9 million in 1900 to 130 million in 2000 and an estimated 236 million today, representing almost twenty percent of the global total.

Catholicism, in other words, is already a non-western religion, at least at the grassroots, and it will be increasingly more so as time wears on. By the middle of this century, three-quarters of every Catholic man, woman and child will live outside the west. Trying to understand the church exclusively through the prism of western preoccupations and priorities, therefore, is a fool’s errand, yet it continues to be how most of us in the press cover the church.

[global1]

1. Who Does The Counting?....nt

[shrike3]

8. Read the story and you'd already know.

And btw, this is the safe haven group for Orthodox and Catholics. I know no one cares about that, but I thought I'd bring it up.

[shrike3]

7. Read the story, and you'll find out. It's specifically mentioned in there.

And btw, this is a safe haven group.

[multigraincracker]

3. I was impressed with the RCC on my visit to Italy.

There seems to a lot of good and bad about the Church. I liked all of the history they have maintained and made open to the public.

It's future depends on it adapting to the new environment it serves. Looks like it serves the Third World well now and not so much in the West.

[shrike3]

9. Thanks for your fair assessment.

Last edited Wed Mar 16, 2022, 04:45 PM - Edit history (2)

It's rare in this group. Africa is experiencing climate change in real time. One of the reasons the Vatican was such a staunch supporter of the Paris agreement.

Glad you enjoyed Italy. One of my favorite places.

[sarisataka]

5. This is a safe haven group

You should delete your post

[shrike3]

6. Why do you all have the impression you can come in here any time you want and say anything you want?

And btw, genius, the Church has been in Africa since 100 A.D. So it's nothing new in Africa, 'kay?

[shrike3]

11. This is a SAFE HAVEN group.

Do you understand what that means?

Here, I'll show you:

Welcome to the Catholic & Orthodox Group. This is a safe haven group where discussions about Catholicism and Orthodoxy take place in a forum free from gratuitous attacks or derision of religion and religious beliefs. There are other places for those who really like to do that. Our focus is on the beliefs and traditions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. For the rest, welcome, and pax vobiscum. Peace be among you.

[old as dirt]

12. I found this interesting.

If the church in the US tomorrow had to kick out all the Mexican, Colombian, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Nigerian, Ugandan, and Congolese priests serving in American dioceses, not to mention all the religious women from those places, it might as well put a “going out of business” sign on the front door of almost every diocesan cathedral in the country.

Just this morning, you were telling me that my wife is not welcome in the Catholic church, because she comes from a Black Catholic culture in Colombia.

If you are going to kick folks like my wife out of her church just for being Black, you'll need to adjust all of your numbers downward.

Alternatively, we could just accept that the Catholic church is a wonderfully diverse family, which like any family, has has had it's historic squabbles, but in which all Catholics are welcome, even Black Catholics from Colombia.

Mi Cauca

[old as dirt]

13. OK, I have to ask.

Did you rec this post intentionally or by accident?



This is where my wife grew up. She comes from a long line of cattle rustlers, going back centuries. It's just a part of her history and her religion and her culture and her identity.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/122110891

Imagine there's no culture. I wonder if you can.

[old as dirt]

14. It's a big world out there.

Catholicism, in other words, is already a non-western religion, at least at the grassroots, and it will be increasingly more so as time wears on. By the middle of this century, three-quarters of every Catholic man, woman and child will live outside the west. Trying to understand the church exclusively through the prism of western preoccupations and priorities, therefore, is a fool’s errand, yet it continues to be how most of us in the press cover the church.

I agree.