How is Catholicism in Europe doing?

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RCIAGraduate

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The situation in Europe seems a bit bleak and depressing, particularly in regards to continuing secularization. Will there continue to be a portion of the population that continues to practice Catholicism, like a stars in the night sky (even seeing hidden growth or growing mustard seeds if you look hard enough)? Doesn’t it get kinda lonely at times, where would Catholics been able to find like-minded community, kinship and fellowship (is this where ecumenism can be a consolation?)? What will happen to the cultural hallmarks that has Catholic roots and connections? Ultimately, is the future of Catholicism mean to shift elsewhere (e.g Africa, Asia)?
 
You can’t make a blanket statement about “Europe”. It varies greatly country by country, and there are different reasons why it varies.

If you are Catholic in Poland or Portugal you won’t lack for company. Catholic in Czech Republic or the Netherlands is a different story.

Many who practice their Catholic faith are not looking for “community”.
 
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You say it is bleak everywhere but if I may ask you, do you continue to have hope for the Catholic yourself, if I may ask you personally. You’re not exactly wrong.
 
I don’t think the outlook is totally bleak.

I know of several young people who stopped attending Mass as soon as they escaped the influence of their parents, but later returned. An important turning point is often having children, and they start thinking about the spiritual well being of their children.

And even if overall numbers are decreasing, there are pockets where Catholicism is going strong. If you look at things like Catholic youth camps, there is still a high turnout and dedication.
 
are you in a country whose people are publishing calls for a resignation of a Pope?

I rest my case

happy cake day @cirdan_x11
 
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Well, I live in Ireland and although we’re told Catholicism is dead and gone here, there are still 5 packed masses, every Sunday, at my local parish, with another ~12 parishes to choose from within a 10 mins drive from my home. I live in Dublin.

Secularism is now very evident , in Ireland, especially with the recent ‘vote to choose’ that legalised abortion, and the more recent constant media, anti-Catholic, barrage in relation to Pope Francis’s attendance at the WMOF - that went on for weeks.

However, on the other side of the coin, I signed a petition, today, from Prolife aimed at all the politicians, in relation to allowing GPs to fully opt out of even having to refer someone, to another GP, for an abortion

So will be interesting to see if anything happens.

Excert from the letter written by Prolife:

Health Minister Simon Harris is claiming doctors’ freedom of conscience is protected in his proposed new abortion law. It most definitely is not.

The draft legislation compels doctors who don’t want to perform abortions to refer those seeking an abortion to a medical colleague who will carry out the procedure. This is a grave violation of a doctor’s freedom of conscience and right to have no part in facilitating abortion either by directly carrying it out or, indirectly, by arranging it.

Forcing doctors to make such referrals makes them morally complicit in the abortion, since as a direct consequence of their referral a baby will have his or her life ended.
 
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Bleak?
2 Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Are we scourged by our troubles as we seek to rise above them with reliance on Our Lord?
 
Europe (particularly Britain) certainly appears to be more secular than the United States, as religion has always been very important to our country, so I don’t blame you for thinking this way.

Africa could certainly be a candidate for “the future of Catholicism”- but it’s also very possible that the United States could one day become just that, as we have (last I checked) the largest Catholic minority in the world, and because- while being fought by the secularists- America is still very much religious. We might be a better candidate than, say, Asia, which faces great persecution (China refuses to allow the Church to name a bishop that hasn’t been “approved” by their government, for example), but it could very well move to Poland.

We’ll see.
 
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