Is Catholicism Dying?

[jsaldar]

I live in the U.S. It seems like out of all of the people I know, only 20% or so believe in Christ. Out of those 20% only 5% are Roman Catholic. The rest are from other Christian denominations but used to be Roman Catholic a few years ago. The other 80% are atheist.

This is very sad. Also, the media doesn’t help showing all the negative aspects of the Church, such as pedophile priests and more. There was a report last night about a priest stealing valuable things from a store, and caught on surveillance camera.

How do you all feel about this? Is this just in my head, or are we Roman Catholics becoming scarce?

 

[MHT32]

In the US 3/4 of the population is Christian, 1/4 is Catholic. However, most are not practicing. But that doesnt make them atheists. It isnt dying, the numbers are rising but it seems that in some places the number of those practicing is decreasing.

 

[TrueLight]

A lot of people have fallen into relativism. I believe the more we, as Catholics, are firm about what we believe – in other words, when we unabashedly are Catholic, and stand up for what believe, the fervor or our convictions will draw people back to Catholicism.

But that’s just me.

 

[thomasf]

Catholicism cannot die, Jesus promised us that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church.

We are called to be faithful. Whether the church is going through trials, losing popularity or favor is irrelevant. It doesn’t change the fact that Jesus founded this church, promised His protection on it, and that it contains the full truth of Christianity. We should work to make it successful and to grow and spread to all people, but our faith does not depend on that success. Nor does it depend on the attacks on it from within or outside. It does depend on us being true to Christ, His teachings, His word, and the church He left for us.

 

[pgnat1]

asianews.it/news-en/Catholic-Church-is-growing:-growing-number-of-faithful,-bishops,-priests,-deacons-and-seminarians-24202.html

 

[andreashofer]

A lot of people have fallen into relativism. I believe the more we, as Catholics, are firm about what we believe – in other words, when we unabashedly are Catholic, and stand up for what believe, the fervor or our convictions will draw people back to Catholicism.

But that’s just me.

Brother, that is the splendor of truth!God knows every single one of us very well

 

[catholickat4]

We are in the apostasy. This is just what you would expect to be happening right now according to prophecy. Read “Trial, Tribulation and Triumph” or “Catholic Prophecy”
or Anne Catherine Emmerich or all about Fatima message or …

Know what is coming.
Scintillating stuff. Fascinating.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[fastenatingguy]

A lot of people have fallen into relativism. I believe the more we, as Catholics, are firm about what we believe – in other words, when we unabashedly are Catholic, and stand up for what believe, the fervor or our convictions will draw people back to Catholicism.

But that’s just me.

You are not alone:thumbsup:

 

[Gods_Peace]

I live in the U.S. It seems like out of all of the people I know, only 20% or so believe in Christ. Out of those 20% only 5% are Roman Catholic. The rest are from other Christian denominations but used to be Roman Catholic a few years ago. The other 80% are atheist.

This is very sad. Also, the media doesn’t help showing all the negative aspects of the Church, such as pedophile priests and more. There was a report last night about a priest stealing valuable things from a store, and caught on surveillance camera.

How do you all feel about this? Is this just in my head, or are we Roman Catholics becoming scarce?

If Christ is still alive then the Catholic Church is still alive. We are one body in Christ.

 

[iloveangels]

I live in the U.S. It seems like out of all of the people I know, only 20% or so believe in Christ. Out of those 20% only 5% are Roman Catholic. The rest are from other Christian denominations but used to be Roman Catholic a few years ago. The other 80% are atheist.

This is very sad. Also, the media doesn’t help showing all the negative aspects of the Church, such as pedophile priests and more. There was a report last night about a priest stealing valuable things from a store, and caught on surveillance camera.

How do you all feel about this? Is this just in my head, or are we Roman Catholics becoming scarce?

Worldwide, no. The Church is growing very rapidly in Africa and Asia. And holding its own in Latin America.

In the US and Europe, maybe. Not a nice answer, but it’s the truth.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

The western world is definitely going through a spiritual crisis, and who knows how that will develop. But the church is growing in other parts of the world. It is amazing and exciting.

 

[iloveangels]

Listen, you cannot blame the media. I’m a member of the media and it’s our job to report whatever news happens, whether it happens in the Catholic church or in other churches. No editor says to us: “Oh, it’s the Catholic church…let’s get them!”.
The hard truth is…if these priests that you mention, above, did not get into these situations, *there would be no newspaper stories about them. *
If they are caught on a surveillance camera stealing, that is their own doing.
If they are innocent, then that will be reported as well.
The media doesn’t care either way, it just needs to fill space and air time and follows what happens. There is no conspiracy. There is no persecution. I promise you. We just report what happens and what is most dramatic.

Trust me, if they’re innocent, that won’t be reported. But yes, things have been reported that really happened and they shouldn’t have happened. Although, what’s happened that’s been reported (abuse etc) has merely been a symptom of deeper problems that pre-existed all of that. The media is really oblivious to all of that.

 

[iloveangels]

Well…I myself have reported in mainstream media --the biggest publications in the USA–on both the innocent ones and the guilty ones, so I can tell you for a fact that both are reported by me and the publications I have worked for.

What is the pre-existing, deeper problem?
If someone cares to tell the media, they will listen.
If you have something to tell me, I will write it.

If you’re as Catholic as you say you are literate, by your own reckoning, then you should be able to write it yourself.

As a matter of fact, I also know, being an ordinary viewer of the media, that you don’t print many things, only things that sell media. You’re in a business and the point of business is to make money. Let’s not be cute about that.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

As a matter of fact, I also know, being an ordinary viewer of the media, that you don’t print many things, only things that sell media. You’re in a business and the point of business is to make money. Let’s not be cute about that.

Exactly. Many things don’t get reported when they are inconvenient. Also, facts are presented in a certain way, there is always a background to both the story and the reporter. Things don’t exist in an ideological vaccum. I think journalists should learn basic social science in order to iunderstand that bias is present whenever we make a statement about something. It’s just how it works.

 

[meltzerboy]

I live in the U.S. It seems like out of all of the people I know, only 20% or so believe in Christ. Out of those 20% only 5% are Roman Catholic. The rest are from other Christian denominations but used to be Roman Catholic a few years ago. The other 80% are atheist.

This is very sad. Also, the media doesn’t help showing all the negative aspects of the Church, such as pedophile priests and more. There was a report last night about a priest stealing valuable things from a store, and caught on surveillance camera.

How do you all feel about this? Is this just in my head, or are we Roman Catholics becoming scarce?

If Jews are still around, and even growing, after so many centuries of persecution and discrimination, then I don’t think Catholics need worry that they will disappear.

 

[PeterJohn]

Catholicism is not dieing. The present and previous Popes have called for a re-evangelization effort to occur within the Church. I see it starting to happen and it has motivated me to become part of the movement. I feel the call to stand up, and be the first in my parish to “renovate” that House of God. I got the blessing from my pastor to start a evangelism committee we are calling PAC(Parish Activites Comitee). The holy spirit it truly working in me in ways I never knew possible. In Acts of the apostles the first Christian converts devoted the,selves to the apostles teachings, the breaking of the bread, fellowship and to the prayers. Today, we have the apostles teachings, we have the prayers, and we have the breaking of the bread. Sadly we don’t have people devoting themselves to fellowship. This seems to be what is working for evangelical Mega churches. I am currently working on creating a social life within the church for the Catholics in my small rural parish.
This truly is our calling. Each and everyone of us is called to use the gifts of the holy spirit for the benefit of each other and the church as a whole. That first person can be you. All you have to do is say “lord, I am ready for where you wish to send me”. God bless.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”!

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

 

[Faith_Friend]

I think about this a lot i am just now joining the Church. However i think its my job to use my knowledge to help bring people back and i am doing so already. My other duty is to my three kids. I hope they can grow in faith like me and dad and grow another generation of practicinv Catholics

 

[Kit15]

Keep in mind that you maaaay know more Catholics than you think. Devout ones even. We’re kinda notorious for not wearing it blatantly on our sleeve.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I live in the U.S. It seems like out of all of the people I know, only 20% or so believe in Christ. Out of those 20% only 5% are Roman Catholic. The rest are from other Christian denominations but used to be Roman Catholic a few years ago. The other 80% are atheist.

This is very sad. Also, the media doesn’t help showing all the negative aspects of the Church, such as pedophile priests and more. There was a report last night about a priest stealing valuable things from a store, and caught on surveillance camera.

How do you all feel about this? Is this just in my head, or are we Roman Catholics becoming scarce?/QU

From the way you phrased your question it sounds like you are young (under 30) and in a University setting. It is easy, in such a setting, to forget that it does not represent American society at large. There, because of the so-called intellectualism, you are in a rabid secularist environment, where group mechanics demand that you forego your religious beliefs or be ostracised. On many campuses, the people who go to the Newman House are considered some kind of wierdo’s by faculty and students alike.
In dealing with them, just ask yourself one question: When did anyone of these people put one grain of food on your table?
As for the press and journalists, they are the most biased and corrupt members of society…with even so called Catholic journalists knuckling under to the predjudices of their editors, who in turn knuckle under to the predjudices of their publishers.
The mass media in the US has been on a power trip ever since they cause the public to force the government to capitulate in Viet Nam and then they toppled Richard Nixon. Never forget, it has been the mass media and Hollywood that has been pushing the Secularization of American Society ever since the end of WW II.
However, the Catholic Church will survive all of this-just as it survived the fall of Rome, the Islamization of the Mid East and North Africa and the Islamic (Turkish) invasion of Eastern Europe in the 1600’s, and Communism under the Soviet Union in the 20th Century.
Compared to these events, the Secularist movement and the current regimes’ anti-Catholic predjudice are just passing fads.

 

[SecretGarden]

Catholicism at least in my area, is going through a period of cleaning, regrouping and catch up. Some churches are closing but God is also breathing new life into many churches as well. I think we are living in a time where revival is in the air. The churches which are open to the holy spirit will survive, the others that don’t won’t. One of the major reasons why Catholicism has been dying is because it hasn’t been able to teach the young generation why they need God. Furthermore, because for many decades when major problems arose such as with the cases of sexual abuse with the priests and other religious, instead of the church having the accused arrested, and doing jail time, they simply sent the people to another place where they did it again. People have gotten scared, and angry at the church therefore they have left. The church has had to deal with these cases, and is now becoming more accountable for its actions. It’s costing it millions of dollars, but I’m sure that if someone broke the law in this way today, the church would get the local authorities involved.

Furthermore, unless someone attended Catholic school, faith education basically ends once they are confirmed. The exception being if the church has a good sunday school and youth program. Therefore we have a bunch of adults whose Catholic education ended when they were 12 which is a problem because I have worked with these kids. Most don’t care about their faith at that age. Education need to be continued throughout the teen and young adult years. The Evangelical churches are teaching us that if we want our young people to remain, we must continue our faith education programs until people’s early 30’s. The New Evangelization is helping, there are other programs that are coming up which will also help to bring people back.

I don’t think the church is necessarily dying, I think it’s beginning a new era where it has greater accountability, its focus on evangelization has changed from an outward to an inward focus meaning, it needs to educate its existing people before it looks outward. It is also facing more spiritual battles and it’s needing to embrace the technology in order to win back souls for christ. I think it is interesting that God is sending many Catholic converts to bring new life to the church. For example look at what Scott Hahn has done for the Catholic church. He has inspired cradle Catholics to become active Christians. The church needs God following Christians who are willing to step up and bring people home. I also believe, the church needs to teach people that Catholicism isn’t just about religion, attending mass, etc, but having an active relationship with Christ.

I think we need to pray for the church and have some gumption to realize, if the church can survive 2000 years of persecution and turmoil, it can certainly survive our times as well.