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T
thistle
Guest
Are you sure these numbers are correct. As far as I know America has roughly 66 million Catholics which is only around 23% of the population and around 6% of the 1.1 billion catholics in the world.
I wonder if you actually mean North, Central and South America combined?
B
Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
It says America not United States.
R
RyanL
Guest
What he said. 
Think globally. North and South America comprise “America”.
And yeah, I’m pretty sure the Vatican has the best tap on the numbers of Catholics.
God Bless,
RyanL
Think globally. North and South America comprise “America”.And yeah, I’m pretty sure the Vatican has the best tap on the numbers of Catholics.
God Bless,
RyanL
T
thistle
Guest
Forgive me for being picky. Its just that the word America on its own means USA to everyone whereas North, South and Central America are universally known as The Americas. The word America is never used to describe all three toether.What he said.
And yeah, I’m pretty sure the Vatican has the best tap on the numbers of Catholics.
God Bless,
RyanL
Again sorry for being pedantic.
A
Atreyu
Guest
I can be pedantic too. There is no reason to say “North, South and Central America”, as Central America is a part of North America.
T
thistle
Guest
You are correct. I’m only trying to make the point that using the word “America” means the USA in the eyes of people from all other countries (and probably most within the USA) whereas talking about Canada, USA, Central America, South America combined are referred to as The Americas. They are never referred to as America.
By the way I’m not disputing the numbers of Catholics but rather saying its not clear disrtibutionwise by the use of the single word America.
The original post also mentions the Continent of America but actually there is no such thing. You have the Continent of North America and the Continent of South America.
I’m simply saying the article on the statistics could have been made clearer because its not easy to see from the article that in fact that the vast majority of Catholics are from the Third World (Latin America, Africa, Asia in particular) and not the West.
A
Asking
Guest
The whole continent is America, latin americans consider themselves “americanos”, the word they use for people who live in the United States of America is “estadounidense”.
Yo que soy americano,
no importa de que país,
quiero que mi continente
viva algún día feliz.
Que los países hermanos
de Centroamérica y sur
borren las sombras del norte
a ramalazos de luz.
Si hay que callar
no callemos,
pongámonos a cantar.
Y si hay que peliar,
peliemos,
si es el modo de triunfar.
Por toda América soplan
vientos que no han de parar.
Hasta que entierren las sombras,
no hay orden de descansar.
Desde una punta a la otra,
del continente, qué bien,
el viento sopla sin pausas
y el hombre sigue el vaivén.
Yo que soy americano,
no importa de que país,
quiero que mi continente
viva algún día feliz.
Que los países hermanos
de Centroamérica y sur
borren las sombras del norte
a ramalazos de luz.
Si hay que callar
no callemos,
pongámonos a cantar.
Y si hay que peliar,
peliemos,
si es el modo de triunfar.
Por toda América soplan
vientos que no han de parar.
Hasta que entierren las sombras,
no hay orden de descansar.
Desde una punta a la otra,
del continente, qué bien,
el viento sopla sin pausas
y el hombre sigue el vaivén.
T
thistle
Guest
I’ll have to get someone to translate the poem/song.
I’m sure its beautiful.
I’m 57 now but studied Geography at school. I was never taught that there was a Continent of America. There was always a Continent of North America and a Continent of South America. I just checked some websites and that still seems to be the case.
Anyway that was not the point I was trying make. The way the article reads by using the word America is that most Catholics are from the West which of course is not true. Most Catholics are from the developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia and I feel it should be spelled out more clearly. I think actually that more than 45% of the world’s catholics are even from Latin America. Isn’t this so?
A
Asking
Guest
Actually, I intended to post the lyrics of another song but couldnt find them, I am not too happy with the example I posted because the second paragraph could be read in a rather slightly anti-american way.
My translation (sorry, my english aint that good)
Que los países hermanos
de Centroamérica y sur
borren las sombras del norte
a ramalazos de luz.
May the brother countries
from CentralAmerica and the South
Erase the Shadows from the north
with strand-strokes of light
My translation (sorry, my english aint that good)
Que los países hermanos
de Centroamérica y sur
borren las sombras del norte
a ramalazos de luz.
May the brother countries
from CentralAmerica and the South
Erase the Shadows from the north
with strand-strokes of light
A
Atreyu
Guest
Well the article also says that Oceania is a continent, when clearly it is not. How about we just think of them as areas, instead of continents?
T
thistle
Guest
I don’t want to argue with anyone. Everyone seems to be missing my point for which I blame myself. I simply mean the article could have been worded in a different way so that it was clear to the reader that the vast majority of Catholics are in the developing countries and not the West. Its fine with me if you think its crystal clear in that respect the way its worded so we just pleasantly disagree. For me its not clear in its present format.
R
RyanL
Guest
I understand your point, thistle! :yup: I agree, but it was probably a translation error (I hope).
Have you included a prayer for vocations in your nightly prayers?
God Bless,
RyanL
Have you included a prayer for vocations in your nightly prayers?
God Bless,
RyanL
T
thistle
Guest
Every morning I pray for all existing priests, for those in training, and that many who have not yet got the call will get the call.
God Bless you too.
P
Petergee
Guest
I can’t believe how parochial and chauvinist some Yanks can be. The article clearly divided the world into “Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania”. It would be absurd to conclude that “America” meant “the USA”. Unless you think that there are NO Catholics in any other country in America.
Yes geographically North and South America are separate continents. (And geographically Europe and Asia are the one continent of Eurasia. They are divided in two for cultural reasons and because the population would be so huge if you lumped them together.) But the division into the 5 continents listed is the conventional one for non-geographers. (North and South America have culturally a lot more in common than Europe and Asia.) e.g the Olympic Rings represent Europe (green), America (red), Africa (black), Asia (gold) and Oceania (blue).
And yes the important thing is to pray for and encourage vocations.
Yes geographically North and South America are separate continents. (And geographically Europe and Asia are the one continent of Eurasia. They are divided in two for cultural reasons and because the population would be so huge if you lumped them together.) But the division into the 5 continents listed is the conventional one for non-geographers. (North and South America have culturally a lot more in common than Europe and Asia.) e.g the Olympic Rings represent Europe (green), America (red), Africa (black), Asia (gold) and Oceania (blue).
And yes the important thing is to pray for and encourage vocations.
H
Hesychios
Guest
Wow, this thread really took off on a tangent.
As far as the topic is concerned I think we had all do a lot more than pray for vocations. We need to act on the call and help restore a culture that says ‘yes’ to God.
It also wouldn’t hurt to examine the reasons behind the shortfall in vocations and make some changes. The first thing I would suggest is to make sure priests are very well compensated, and be doubly sure that they will not be impoverished when they have become too old to serve.
The second is related to the first, we need to kick up our weekly contributions. The average Catholic should be embarrassed to reveal how much they usually give. The posters here may be more devoted and better contributors than average, but who knows?
We need to let our priests know how much we really appreciate them, and our children should hear only praise for them, instead of that dinner table criticism that is so common. The priesthood, serving at the altar of God, should be treated by us as the great privilige it is, and our children should ‘get’ the idea.
We have to stop hoping and praying that someone else’s son will want to be a priest, and instead hope and pray that our own sons, grandsons, neighbors, nephews and cousins will hear the call and follow it. A little gentle encouragement wouldn’t hurt.
As far as the topic is concerned I think we had all do a lot more than pray for vocations. We need to act on the call and help restore a culture that says ‘yes’ to God.
It also wouldn’t hurt to examine the reasons behind the shortfall in vocations and make some changes. The first thing I would suggest is to make sure priests are very well compensated, and be doubly sure that they will not be impoverished when they have become too old to serve.
The second is related to the first, we need to kick up our weekly contributions. The average Catholic should be embarrassed to reveal how much they usually give. The posters here may be more devoted and better contributors than average, but who knows?
We need to let our priests know how much we really appreciate them, and our children should hear only praise for them, instead of that dinner table criticism that is so common. The priesthood, serving at the altar of God, should be treated by us as the great privilige it is, and our children should ‘get’ the idea.
We have to stop hoping and praying that someone else’s son will want to be a priest, and instead hope and pray that our own sons, grandsons, neighbors, nephews and cousins will hear the call and follow it. A little gentle encouragement wouldn’t hurt.
T
Tom
Guest
Lord, Jesus Christ, you took to yourself a body and soul like ours
To teach us the glory of self sacrifice and service.
Mercifully instill in our hearts the desire to dedicate our lives to you.
Give us Priests and Deacons to stand at the altar and speak the words of the gospel;
Brothers and Sisters to teach the young, nurse the sick, and minister charity to all;
Lay people to imitate you in their hearts, families, work and community.
To teach us the glory of self sacrifice and service.
Mercifully instill in our hearts the desire to dedicate our lives to you.
Give us Priests and Deacons to stand at the altar and speak the words of the gospel;
Brothers and Sisters to teach the young, nurse the sick, and minister charity to all;
Lay people to imitate you in their hearts, families, work and community.
L
Lillith
Guest
Forgive! It comes from the songs We are taught in Elementary school…that we live in America…the Americas…well that’s everybody…Every song from “America”…writen during the Civil War, to Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” writen during the Gulf war and my favorite…God Bless America…so sorry for all the Americans in other parts of the Americas…call it brainwashed if you like, but I don’t get the chauvenist connection…
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
P.S…I sometimes forget to pray for vocations…I will focus on that better!!
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