How many Catholics do you think there are?

[Nohome]

Kielbasi:

Maybe.

If he joined another religion, or by another formal act renounced Catholicism, he is no longer a member.

But if he just quit showing up at church, he’s still in the club.

I’ve always wondered about that “formal act” phrase. It is in the rules about marriage and remarriage, but nowhere else. The Church does not provide a formal act to leave the Church nor does it define (to my knowledge) what constitues a foraml act.

Even if one committed a formal act, I suspect you could confess and be right back in full communion. After, we believe in one baptisim…

I asked how one formally leaves and was told “you don’t”.

Nohome

 

[Kielbasi]

I just wondered if that 1.2 billion number (I messed up with the 2 billion) counted everyone who had been baptized, or everyone who had been confirmed, or everyone who had their first communion or if only counted people who were registered in a parish somewhere? I’m curious to how the Church goes about getting that number.

Parishes are supposed to have censuses and report to the bishops what their Catholic population is in their jurisdictions.

I don’t think many places do it door to door any more, most places probably just counting the parish registrations, although that misses a lot of folks who aren’t registered. Maybe the unregistered are estimated in some way?? Those folks may well need funerals , marriages or other rites from the church at any time. Of course all Catholics are supposed to be counted even if they aren’t confirmed. I’d like to know the exact methodology as well, although I suspect it varies from diocese to diocese.

 

[Petergee]

Ryniev:

Thank you! Do you think that the majority of Catholics are self-excommunicated then? I wonder why so many continue in the Church instead of becoming say Episcopalian or Lutheran?

I don’t think the majority of non-practising Catholics actually believe heresy. They believe the Church’s doctrines, they just don’t believe strongly enough.

In most countries the government census gives quite accurate figures for the number of people who identify themselves as Catholic.

 

[puzzleannie]

government census figures count people who self-identify as Catholics.

Every year in October, at least in this country, dioceses do a census. They gather statistics from every parish on how many baptize, confirmed, First communion, married, buried etc. in the preceding year, and do an actual headcount at all Masses on a specified Sunday to get the actual number of Church-going Catholics. Statistics also cover Catholic school and CCD enrollment and other pertinent data.