Catholic countries

[Wesley7]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

 

[Rolltide]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

Besides Vatican City, I’m not sure how many governments are officially Catholic, but I can tell you a great number of countries where the majority of the population is Catholic. For the record, the US is about 25% Catholic, making it the single largest denomination in the US.

ALL Spanish speaking countries in the Americas are a majority Catholic (most approach 90% Catholic or more), and Brazil is the largest Catholic nation in the world. Also, Haiti has a large number of Catholics.

In Europe, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Malta, San Marino, France, Andorra, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria (off-hand). Southern Germany is heavily Catholic, but the north is Lutheran.

In Asia, the Phillipines. Vietnam has a substantial minority of Catholics (10% or more).

In Africa, it is close to a majority in Nigeria. Several other nations have seen a huge growth in Catholicism as well.

For the Orthodox, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, and it has a strong presence in Eastern Europe.

 

[Adsum_Domini]

Fairly recently, East Timor gained it’s independence from Indonesia and became the second predominantly Roman Catholic country in Asia. I believe 97% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic.

Malta is also another country worth mentioning where 98% of the population is Roman Catholic.

 

[JenDid]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

Guam is 85% Catholic with a 99% literacy rate for both males and females.

 

[Rolltide]

Guam is 85% Catholic with a 99% literacy rate for both males and females.

True, although Guam is a part of the US…
(Incidentally, I have members of both my family and my wife’s family that either live or have lived in Guam…)

 

[StMagdalene79]

I thought the Philipenes has a rediculous amount of Catholics?

 

[bobsharp]

How are we getting these percentages? Are these percentages based on attendance, being baptized in the church only and never going back besides once a year on easter or christmas?

Just curious??

 

[Rolltide]

How are we getting these percentages? Are these percentages based on attendance, being baptized in the church only and never going back besides once a year on easter or christmas?

Just curious??

I believe it is based on census data, and people who self-identify themselves as Catholic. Catholic Church records would likely identify a far-higher percentage, because anyone baptized a Catholic, even if they left the faith, would still be considered Catholic. Now, as far as how many of these self-identifying Catholics are practicing Catholics, I suspect the number is far smaller.

 

[JenDid]

True, although Guam is a part of the US…
(Incidentally, I have members of both my family and my wife’s family that either live or have lived in Guam…)

Oops!
Thank you for the correction.
In Christ,
Jennifer

 

[WH1988]

In Europe, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Malta, San Marino, France, Andorra, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria (off-hand). Southern Germany is heavily Catholic, but the north is Lutheran.

This sounds almost like an insult for a Portuguese. You mention San Marino and Andorra (Microstates) and forget to mention Portugal.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

adherents.com gives the countries with the largest percentage of Catholics. This chart gives the number of Catholics and the percentage of the population.

• Vatican City - 850 - 100.00%
• San Marino - 24,714 - 99.83
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon - 6,000 - 99.36
• Wallis and Futuna Islands - 15,000 - 99.02
• Italy - 55,599,000 - 97.20
• Cape Verde - 390,000 - 96.00
• Poland - 36,835,000 - 95.40
• Mexico - 86,305,000 - 95.30
• Ireland - 3,372,500 - 95.00
• Guadeloupe - 391,000 - 95.00
• Spain - 36,956,000 - 94.20
• Luxembourg - 386,000 - 94.00
• Paraguay - 4,531,000 - 93.80
• Ecuador - 10,729,000 - 93.60
• El Salvador - 5,399,000 - 93.50
• Costa Rica - 3,009,000 - 93.00
• Honduras - 5,517,000 - 92.70
• Venezuela - 19,922,000 - 92.00
• Portugal - 9,948,000 - 92.00
  You need to take these numbers with a grain of salt because there’s a question of how you define “Catholic.” In Italy, for example, there was an estimate that only 28% of Catholics regularly attend Mass on Sunday and in some parts of Latin America the number drops below 10%. Source] For comparison, CARA shows U.S. Mass attendance (those who say they attend “every week” or more often) at 36%. Source]

 

[Adsum_Domini]

For many of these countries which are predominantly Catholic, many protestant denominations are making their way in and have been converting many. I guess it’s time we re-evangelize our own so they may be educated in the truth rather than half-truths. I know even our apostolic brothers are having the same crisis as here in Los Angeles, there is a large Armenian community and there’s a growing flow conversions to “those others”.

I do remember going to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and everyday at exactly 3:00 p.m., 2 or 3 tv stations used to stop all programing and pray the Angelus.

 

[Rolltide]

This sounds almost like an insult for a Portuguese. You mention San Marino and Andorra (Microstates) and forget to mention Portugal.

Gah, sorry. No excuse for that one, especially since I’m an historian and specialize in Latin America / The Hispanic World. Keep in mind, I was simply reciting off the top of my head at like 1 am…

 

[beeliner]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

On the European continent, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Poland are certainly overwhelmingly Catholic.

Whether Catholicism is the ‘official’ or state church of any of them I am not sure. Maybe another poster knows.

In Austria and in Bavaria (Southern Germany), when you enter a small retail store or office you are nearly always greeted by ‘God be with you!’ (Grüss Gott!). To the American ear, it sounds like they’re saying, “Great Scott!”.

 

[Paul2274]

The Catholic Almanac is a fact sourse that everyone who loves statistics and catholic information should have. It has all this kind of inforation and about another 600-700 pages of great stats. I bought the 2007 edition that was an old library reference book. You can get it at Our Sunday Visitor of course the 2008 edition. Enjoy.

Paul

 

[beeliner]

Thank you for those interesting stats. Austria is probably not on the list due to the influx of Muslims. I’ve sure never met a Protestant there!

 

[Isa_Almisry]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

To your last queston. Ethiopia is majority Orthodox, and have been for the last 1600 years.

 

[Kielbasi]

For the Orthodox, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, and it has a strong presence in Eastern Europe.

You’re mistaken on a few of these. Lithuania is definitely a Catholic country, Estonia and Latvia are majority protestant.

Serbia and Ukraine however are Greek Orthodox, and you missed Croatia and Slovenia as Catholic countries.

 

[KingAlfred]

Could you list and identify countries where the government and majority of the population is Catholic? or Orthodox? This would be radically different from America.

When I was assigned to Panama and Paraguay, I loved the abundance of Catholic Churches. They were everywhere. On Sundays, you could actually find a Mass at every hour of the day.

 

[KingAlfred]

You’re mistaken on a few of these. Lithuania is definitely a Catholic country, Estonia and Latvia are majority protestant.

Serbia and Ukraine however are Greek Orthodox, and you missed Croatia and Slovenia as Catholic countries.

Ukraine has a strong Eastern Rite Catholic Church. I’m reading a book by one of its 20th Century heroes – Josyp Terelya. Tremendous heroism. Good read.