Number of Catholics Up, Clergy up Over the Past Year

[joylazarus]

** 2008 2009
Catholics 67 million to 68 million +1 million
Priests 41,406 to 41,489 +83
Deacons 16,408 to 16,935 +527

TOTAL NUMBER OF PRIESTS WORLDWIDE stands at 408,000. That’s one priest for every 2,800 Catholics.

Priests are growing as well as the Catholic faith. They are growing in Oceania, Africa, Asia, Americas, and Europe**

Source:Kennedy Directory 2009 CNS

Great News!
But why not in Ireland? So disappointing that the number of priests going down in this traditional Catholic country and also the number of practicing Catholics!
Lazarus
www.proventherapy.com

 

[Holly3278]

This is good news in my opinion. I just wish the statistics were a lot more detailed.

 

[Maranatha]

I’m not sure where you get your statistics or way they would be different from CARA. According to CARA there are 40,666 priests in the US in 2009. They don’t give stats, at least for free, for 2008.

You can look at stats many different ways and I agree with other posters, the stats don’t show the interior disposition of individual members.

The one stat on the CARA page that I think is very healthy is the Mass attendance in the US. This seems to be on the upswing.

Also, the graph at the bottom shows that the US has 5.8% for the world Catholic population and it has 10.5% of it’s priests.

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

Not only that, but the figures are worse than they were 3 years ago in 2006.

SEE HERE:

It bears out my point that simply calling yourself a catholic and ticking a box doesnt make you a catholic. From the above article of 2006, while the catholic population grew by more than a million, (there’s actually less catholics now than 3 years ago) the number of

catholic teachers - down 8000

students enrolled in parish religious ed programs - down 26,000

marriages down 11,000

First Communions down 40,000

Children receiving faith formation down 204,000

Confirmation down 15,000

Infant baptisism down 34,000

The 1983 directory, which listed 18,839 parishes, reported a Catholic population of almost 52.1 million, or one parish per 2,765 Catholics. The figures in the 2006 directory indicate the ratio has now grown to one parish per 3,640 Catholics.

I wonder what the figures are for 2009? Anyone got a referrence? If the same pattern has continued, the number of human beings alive that call themselves catholic means next to nothing. Increased population would be disguising a very bleak picture indeed.

People, I don’t want any of you to listen to these lies. I don’t care WHERE he got these stats, they are untrue, This is a post that is full of lies and hatred.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

People, I don’t want any of you to listen to these lies. I don’t care WHERE he got these stats, they are untrue, This is a post that is full of lies and hatred.

They’re from The Official Catholic Directory.

I provided the link.

Oh my heavens.

praying for you in earnest

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

They’re from The Official Catholic Directory.

I provided the link.

Oh my heavens.

praying for you in earnest

**No, I am praying for you. This happened in 2006, this article is OUTDATED. Things are totally different now. At the end of the paragraph last, it even says the numbers in a certain country were keyed in wrong. Nice try. **

 

[Guyonthestreet]

** At the end of the paragraph last, it even says the numbers in a certain country were keyed in wrong. Nice try. **

That’s right - an anomoly was picked up whereby someone had typed in 244 catholic schools, when in fact there was only one!!

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

That’s right - an anomoly was picked up whereby someone had typed in 244 catholic schools, when in fact there was only one!!

Doesn’t matter, the whole article is outdated. Out with the old, in with the new. You are such a Catholic hater, it is SO evident.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

Doesn’t matter, the whole article is outdated. Out with the old, in with the new. You are such a Catholic hater, it is SO evident.

I have been studying and enquiring of the catholic church for years. How dare you say I hate. Post reported to the moderators.

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

I have been studying and enquiring of the catholic church for years. How dare you say I hate. Post reported to the moderators.

Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me, grow up.

 

[Dale_M]

People, I don’t want any of you to listen to these lies. I don’t care WHERE he got these stats, they are untrue, This is a post that is full of lies and hatred.

erm… what evidence do you have to support your contention that the the statistics in the official bulletin of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are untrue?

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

erm… what evidence do you have to support your contention that the the statistics in the official bulletin of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are untrue?

I’m sorry your profile lists you as a fallen away Catholic. What year was this in the official bulletin of L.A.? I gave you the UP TO DATE STATS, yet you will not listen. And I gave you a more broader number than just L.A.

 

[Dale_M]

I’m sorry your profile lists you as a fallen away Catholic.

If this is relevant, could you explain how?

What year was this in the official bulletin of L.A.?

I believe 2006

I gave you the UP TO DATE STATS, yet you will not listen. And I gave you a more broader number than just L.A.

And yet you didn’t bother to give us a link to verify your numbers. Would you care to do so?

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

If this is relevant, could you explain how?

I believe 2006

And yet you didn’t bother to give us a link to verify your numbers. Would you care to do so?

I have already given you the information as stated above. And being a fallen away Catholic Is relevant, otherwise, you wouldn’t question it. goodnight.

 

[Dale_M]

I have already given you the information as stated above. And being a fallen away Catholic Is relevant, otherwise, you wouldn’t question it. goodnight.

LOL

You apparently have no interest in discussion of the evidence. Nor any understanding of my faith status.

 

[Robert_Bay]

Folks, you need to be more charitable to one another. If someone uses statistics to in an argument, you need to refute the statistics (e.g., they are from 2006 and this is 2009, etc.) You can also bring in more recent stats or investigate the report from the OP. But don’t call each other names.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

** 2008 2009
Catholics 67 million to 68 million +1 million
Priests 41,406 to 41,489 +83
Deacons 16,408 to 16,935 +527

TOTAL NUMBER OF PRIESTS WORLDWIDE stands at 408,000. That’s one priest for every 2,800 Catholics.

Priests are growing as well as the Catholic faith. They are growing in Oceania, Africa, Asia, Americas, and Europe**

Source:Kennedy Directory 2009 CNS

From Here: cara.georgetown.edu/bulletin/index.htm

The sources for this information include The Official Catholic Directory (OCD), the Vatican’s Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (ASE), and other CARA research and databases. All data are cross checked as much as possible. For the U.S, the numbers reported here include only figures for those 195 dioceses or eparchies who belong to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.

U.S. Data 1965 1975 1985 1995 2000 2005 2009
Total priests 58,632 58,909 57,317 49,054 45,699 42,839 40,666

Diocesan priests 35,925 36,005 35,052 32,349 30,607 28,702 27,594

Religious priests 22,707 22,904 22,265 16,705 15,092 14,137 13,072

Priestly ordinations 994 771 533 511 442 454 472

Graduate-level
seminarians 8,325 5,279 4,063 3,172 3,474 3,308 3,357

Permanent deacons na 898 7,204 10,932 12,378 14,574 16,380

Religious brothers 12,271 8,625 7,544 6,535 5,662 5,451 4,863

Religious sisters 179,954 135,225 115,386 90,809 79,814 68,634 59,601

Parishes 17,637 18,515 19,244 19,331 19,236 18,891 18,280

These figures do include 2009, so theyre not out of date, they are the catholic churchs own figures and we see. for America:

18,000 less catholic priests than 1965

8,600 less brothers

120,000 less sisters

2,900 more parishes without a resident priest.

2,400 less catholic schools.

And yet at the same time the catholic population has increased by 20 million.

Mass attendance is up by 3% which is a good thing.

World wide the figures are a bit better under some headings. But not for the number of ordained priests - there are now 11,704 priests less than in 1970 world wide, yet at the same time world wide, the catholic population doubled !!!

Overall, given the increase in population, I dont see where the good news is.

I do see a crisis for the catholic church.

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

From Here: cara.georgetown.edu/bulletin/index.htm

The sources for this information include The Official Catholic Directory (OCD), the Vatican’s Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (ASE), and other CARA research and databases. All data are cross checked as much as possible. For the U.S, the numbers reported here include only figures for those 195 dioceses or eparchies who belong to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.

U.S. Data 1965 1975 1985 1995 2000 2005 2009
Total priests 58,632 58,909 57,317 49,054 45,699 42,839 40,666

Diocesan priests 35,925 36,005 35,052 32,349 30,607 28,702 27,594

Religious priests 22,707 22,904 22,265 16,705 15,092 14,137 13,072

Priestly ordinations 994 771 533 511 442 454 472

Graduate-level
seminarians 8,325 5,279 4,063 3,172 3,474 3,308 3,357

Permanent deacons na 898 7,204 10,932 12,378 14,574 16,380

Religious brothers 12,271 8,625 7,544 6,535 5,662 5,451 4,863

Religious sisters 179,954 135,225 115,386 90,809 79,814 68,634 59,601

Parishes 17,637 18,515 19,244 19,331 19,236 18,891 18,280

These figures do include 2009, so theyre not out of date, they are the catholic churchs own figures and we see. for America:

18,000 less catholic priests than 1965

8,600 less brothers

120,000 less sisters

2,900 more parishes without a resident priest.

2,400 less catholic schools.

And yet at the same time the catholic population has increased by 20 million.

Mass attendance is up by 3% which is a good thing.

World wide the figures are a bit better under some headings. But not for the number of ordained priests - there are now 11,704 priests less than in 1970 world wide, yet at the same time world wide, the catholic population doubled !!!

Overall, given the increase in population, I dont see where the good news is.

I do see a crisis for the catholic church.

This is also outdated. This is not true. He wants every effort to try and sway my fellow Catholic brother and sisters. This is incorrect as of 2009. The Catholic church is ever more thriving than ever before. This non-Catholic is hell-bent in making you feel that this is so. Do not listen. This Op will do anything to undermine the True church of Jesus Christ.
There are 1 million converts alone, just in Africa every year to the Catholic faith.
There are more priests than ever, just recently, 50 added to my Archdiocese this year. There is no crisis in the Catholic church, but there is a crisis in the Evangelical ones.

 

[cyberwolf001]

Not only that, but the figures are worse than they were 3 years ago in 2006.

SEE HERE:

It bears out my point that simply calling yourself a catholic and ticking a box doesnt make you a catholic. From the above article of 2006, while the catholic population grew by more than a million, (there’s actually less catholics now than 3 years ago).

You forgot to point out the fact that once your on the rolls as a Catholic it can be VERY hard to get taken back off of them. Of all the Pagans in America the majority have at one time been Catholic and either don’t know how or are in the process of getting there names taken off the Church rolls.

I further see your point that if one calls themselves a Catholic but doesn’t practice Catholicism it can be a situation. One Pagan tradition I studied in was actually “Catholic witchcraft” yes the majority of it’s few thousand members count themselves Catholic and attend mass as do many in the closet pagans to keep up apperances.

Heck I’m still counted as a Catholic untill I can get the get out paperwork done.

This is also outdated. This is not true. He wants every effort to try and sway my fellow Catholic brother and sisters. This is incorrect as of 2009. The Catholic church is ever more thriving than ever before. This non-Catholic is hell-bent in making you feel that this is so. Do not listen. This Op will do anything to undermine the True church of Jesus Christ.
There are 1 million converts alone, just in Africa every year to the Catholic faith.
There are more priests than ever, just recently, 50 added to my Archdiocese this year. There is no crisis in the Catholic church, but there is a crisis in the Evangelical ones.

I don’t understand why the hostility?

 

[Rkirby]

…Of all the Pagans in America the majority have at one time been Catholic and either don’t know how or are in the process of getting there names taken off the Church rolls.

Aren’t the majority of Protestants also ex-Catholic? Where do you get your statistics from?