Best Countries for Catholic Families

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Tarpeian_Rock said:
This of course side-steps such considerations as housing, schools, employment opportunities, adequacy of medical care, and such. Catholics are supposed to be salt and light and leaven in the greater world. I think it’s folly to think of running away into some kind of Catholic ghetto and circling the wagons against the world.
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YES! I agree. We can’t run away with our families and hide from the secularist and materialist world as much as most of us would like 😛

We are called to spread the Gospel (even more so in hostile environments!). We are disciples of the RISEN Christ!! 👍

The question is “Will I be a better witness in a hostile environment or in a comfy and cozy community where everybody is similar??”
 
As Catholics we are duty bound to live in the world and face up to challenges to the faith. It is the duty of Catholics to be a witness to the truth. Otherwise how would souls be saved?

I live in Ireland which used to be very much Catholic. Now we have constitutionally redefined marriage so that in means nothing anymore. And we are probably going to have a referendum within the next few years to attempt to remove the constitutional protection of the unborn child. The schools are being targeted with a new “sexuality education” programme designed to indoctrinate our children into believing in gender theory.

I still refuse to leave. I love my country and I love the faith. Ireland has over 1500 years of Christian tradition and we were sending missionaries out to Europe when the centre of civilisation, the Roman Empire, fell. Saint John Paul II even attributed his faith to Irish missionaries that evangelised Eastern Europe.

I think it’s best to try to raise catholic children who will be there to reinvigorate the faith in the future and re-evangelise the country.
 
Sarcelle said:
Is there a train that goes from Liechtenstein to Zurich?
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That’s right. You take the train from Liechtenstein to Sargans(Swiss village), about 15 minutes. Then change trains and board the one to Zurich main station, 1 hour and say 15 minutes. Get off that one and board the next to Zurich airport, 5 minutes.
 
Harrison_Jacobs said:
Hi, Everybody!

Several times in recent months, I’ve had it suggested that young Americans ought to start looking for new countries, given the dangerous political trends we’re in. In light of this, I was wondering if we could do a thought experiment and consider what the best places would be for young Catholics to live, if they have raising a family in the Faith in mind.

When thinking about reasons to leave the States, the biggest concern that comes to mind is the increasing secularization of American society and hostility to the Catholic faith. So naturally, the ideal country would be one where the population is supportive of the Faith or very tolerant of it. To my knowledge, this prevents rules out Canada, Australia, New Zealand, many Latin nations, and Western Europe as those places are all further along in suppressing religious freedom or following American liberals as eagerly. It would also rule out the Mideast, North Africa and China, as these areas are all hostile to the Christian religion.

Secondly, most Americans will want a reasonable assurance that they can provide for their future children and live in safety. This is not to say a Catholic immigrant should demand the same living standard he enjoyed in America, but we do want a roof over our heads and shoes on our feet. As for safety, we would want to live somewhere without exorbitant crimes rates, without war and where rule of law generally prevails. From my understanding, Sub-Saharan Africa is very Christian, Eastern Europe is re-embracing Christianity, and certain Latin countries and parts of India are very Christian/Catholic. That being said, many African nations have the problem of either civil war or dictatorial regimes, while many Latin American countries are plagued by cartel violence, and while India is an OK country to live in from what I’ve heard, its Christian areas are quite small and the national government is dominated by the Hindu super-majority, and I hear Hindu nationalism is on the rise.

So thoughts anybody? What country would you live in if you want to raise Catholic children in peace? Or are overseas prospects so dim that you’d rather stay in the U.S. and move to the middle of nowhere?
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I would suggest that before you make such a decision, you talk to some expats living in these countries. I suspect after doing so that you will find that America is not as bad as you think it is at least when compared to many of these countries in terms of religious freedoms.

You stated that subsaharan african countries are very christian…not sure where you got that. In fact, many have sizeable muslim populations and indigeneous religions as well. I would do some more research on that.

You can take what I say with a grain of salt. I am a non-catholic so of course I do not unerstand what you may be going through and I only lived in the US for only about 15 years. However, I have lived in other places too, and have found that many things you can say and do freely, you cannot do in many parts of the world. Talk to someone who has lived in one of these places you may find that there is a whole lot you are overlooking.
 
I chose to live in the greatest country in the world: the United States of America.

When there is a disaster anywhere in the world, who gives of their time and money to help? The citizens of the USA. I think living the gospels is more an indication of Christianity than how many Catholic Churches there are in any given country, which certainly seems to weigh for the USA against morally bankrupt and craven Europe. As to anyone who really thinks sub-Saharan Africa is better than the USA (?!?), feel free to go - just be sure to get immunized against a host of diseases long eradicated here before you go.
 
Hi Adam!

I realize you’re being tongue in cheek.

I have great respect for Ireland and its people. That said, one of my best friends is very Irish and I was at his house for a party once, and he was extolling the virtues of Ireland - till someone said “if Ireland is so great, why wouldn’t they fight Hitler?”

It was an awkward moment…and yet…isn’t that maybe a fair question? Sorry to be a boor.
 
PolarGuy said:
Hi Adam!

I realize you’re being tongue in cheek.

I have great respect for Ireland and its people. That said, one of my best friends is very Irish and I was at his house for a party once, and he was extolling the virtues of Ireland - till someone said “if Ireland is so great, why wouldn’t they fight Hitler?”

It was an awkward moment…and yet…isn’t that maybe a fair question? Sorry to be a boor.
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Ahem…over 50,000 Irish enlisted in the British Armed forces in WWII.
 
TruthSeeker319 said:
I’d argue that where you find yourself is where the Church needs you to be. We are called to be evangelize to the ends of the Earth, not just Poland or the Vatican. Fight for what is true!
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That is such a good point. I never really looked at it that way.
 
I’m sick of secular Americans and cafeteria Catholics discouraging my son from discerning a religious vocation! But, we will stay put and pray and bear witness.
 
So thoughts anybody? What country would you live in if you want to raise Catholic children in peace? Or are overseas prospects so dim that you’d rather stay in the U.S. and move to the middle of nowhere?
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What is nice about the U.S. is that we are quite a large country, and quite diverse in terms of geography, demographics, political leanings, and more.

If you want to get away from the riff-raff, there are plenty of small towns out in the country that one could practice their faith and still insulate themselves from modern secularism. Think rural.

Interesting, Russia has reinvigorated a new interest in Christianity. The Russian Orthodox Church has gained a lot of ground in the past decade or so. The Church there went underground during the Communist era, but has seen a resurgence in recent years. We may have a similar situation in the West at some point where the Church has to go underground for political reasons, but it hasn’t gotten that bad just yet.

I would have mentioned France, but Europe is in quite a mess this past year with the refugee crisis and terrorism. Many Jews have fled Europe, and Catholics are not far behind.

Even in secular culture in the United States, there are still strong currents of Judeo-Christian values that run counter to secularism, but mostly at the family and local level. Our culture has been changing rapidly away from Christian values, but not everywhere.
 
Years ago, Costa Rica came up as a good place to live. It is predominately Catholic and
has (had?) a stable government. Don’t know if it still is today. The weather is great year-
round, For me that is a huge plus.
 
AdamPeter said:
I live in Ireland which used to be very much Catholic. Now we have constitutionally redefined marriage so that in means nothing anymore. And we are probably going to have a referendum within the next few years to attempt to remove the constitutional protection of the unborn child. The schools are being targeted with a new “sexuality education” programme designed to indoctrinate our children into believing in gender theory.
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My condolences to you AdamPeter. My Dad is from Dublin, so it is especially heart wrenching for me to watch Ireland secularize, though I can’t imagine how much worse it is for you who have called it home your entire life.
 
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