Question:
look around at any parish today. We have special Masses in parishes that have different ethnic groups: Spanish Masses and English Masses. In some parishes I know we have children’s Masses, where they have music that more appeals to Teens and young people. We have Life-Teen Masses that are more geared to Charismatic groups who are more into sensualism and spiritualism. We have started Saturday Evening Masses for those who do not like Sunday Morning Masses. Everywhere we have catered to the desires of the people with the exception of the more conservative Catholics.
One thing all of these parishes have in common is that they are dying. Each year fewer and fewer people are going to Mass. Each year fewer and fewer people believe in the need to go to Mass. Each year fewer and fewer people believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Each year the number of men choosing the priesthood as a vocation has diminished. The main source of priests throughout the world in the 20th Century was Ireland with 20 filled seminaries. Today in all of Ireland there is only one seminary and it has only 35 seminarians. With few exceptions we have the same problem in America. France has gone from 85% Catholics attending Mass to 3% attending.
Dear William:
Is there a question in there somewhere?
I am afraid you have painted an inaccurate doom and gloom picture.
In actuality vocations are up, not down, worldwide, the Church is growing. Here are the facts:
Estimated and Projected Catholic Population by Region of the World, 2004, 2025, and 2050
 | Percent Catholic | Estimated Catholic Population | Projected Catholic Population | Projected Catholic Population | Change in Catholic Population, 2004-2050 |
| Region of world | 2004 | 2004 | 2025 | 2050 | |
| Africa | 17.9% | 139,157,160 | 219,171,850 | 342,023,230 | 145.8% |
| Asia | 4.3% | 127,125,410 | 171,916,360 | 207,086,560 | 62.9% |
| Europe | 36.4% | 270,765,647 | 272,495,186 | 255,744,426 | -5.5% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 83.3% | 454,541,400 | 568,040,560 | 646,912,570 | 42.3% |
| North America | 25.1% | 82,000,000 | 97,000,000 | 113,000,000 | 37.8% |
| Oceania | 26.8% | 9,000,000 | 11,000,000 | 13,000,000 | 44.4% |
| Total world | 21.6% | 1,082,228,463 | 1,339,159,510 | 1,577,585,569 | 45.8% |
Source: Author's calculations based on data from PRB's World Population Data Sheet 2004 and accessed at www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
Such divergent growth patterns will also shift the global distribution of Catholics over the next 45 years (see Figure 1). Latin American and Caribbean Catholics are still likely to account for two-fifths of all Catholics in 2050, and Africa is expected to have more than one-fifth by that year. But Europe's share of Catholics is projected to drop from one-fourth in 2004 to one-sixth in 2050. North America's proportion will decline only slightly, to 1 in every 13.
Figure 1
Distribution of Catholics by World Region, 2004, 2025, and 2050
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
Source: Author's calculations based on data from PRB's World Population Data Sheet 2004 and accessed at www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
The Congo, the Philippines, and Mexico Likely to Lead Growth in Numbers of Catholics
Diverging regional growth patterns for Catholic populations are mirrored in projections for many of these regions' individual countries, with Latin American and African countries leading the way. Indeed, the list of 25 countries projected to experience the greatest growth in their Catholic populations from 2004 to 2050 is dominated by Latin America/the Caribbean (with 13 countries) and Africa (with eight).
The 10 countries forecast to have the greatest numerical increases in their Catholic populations by 2050 include Congo, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Nigeria, Uganda, Colombia, Argentina, and Angola (see Table 2). These 10 countries are expected to account for slightly more than three-fifths of the projected world growth of 495.4 million Catholics between 2004 and 2050. Only one European country (France) appears in the top 25 in terms of growth, at 22nd for the 2004-2025 period.
Conversely, European nations dominate the list of countries projected to experience declines in their Catholic populations between now and 2050. Nearly 70 percent (25 of 34) of the countries projected to sustain losses in their Catholic populations between 2004 and 2050 are in Europe, as are all 10 of the countries expected to have the greatest numerical declines in their Catholic populations (see Table 2). Poland and Italy each are projected to have 5.3 million fewer Catholics in 2050 than in 2004.
Table 2
Countries With Largest Projected Growth or Decline in Their Catholic Populations, 2004-2050
Projected Absolute Change in Catholic Population | ||||||||
Countries with Growth | | Countries with Decline | ||||||
| 1 | Congo (Dem. Rep) | 60,983,400 | 1 | Poland | -5,356,880 | |||
| 2 | Philippines | 49,735,200 | 2 | Italy | -5,330,600 | |||
| 3 | Mexico | 38,510,550 | 3 | Germany | -2,412,000 | |||
| 4 | Brazil | 34,867,890 | 4 | Hungary | -1,504,250 | |||
| 5 | United States | 28,973,220 | 5 | Portugal | -1,084,920 | |||
| 6 | Nigeria | 27,352,080 | 6 | Spain | -1,008,720 | |||
| 7 | Uganda | 24,317,600 | 7 | Ukraine | -673,200 | |||
| 8 | Colombia | 19,489,800 | 8 | Slovakia | -512,470 | |||
| 9 | Argentina | 13,660,240 | 9 | Romania | -466,200 | |||
| 10 | Angola | 13,628,760 | 10 | Croatia | -447,600 | |||
Source: Author's calculations based on data from PRB's World Population Data Sheet 2004 and accessed at www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
The Catholic Church is a GLOBAL and UNIVERSAL CHURCH. Because there are regional problems does not mean that the Church is hurting. Typically American tend to think the world revolves around them and when there are declines in vocations or another other matter we Americans think that how goes we, goes the Church. Nevertheless, here in North American the Church is growing. Europe is the place where the Church is declining. Despite that the London Times reports that Roman Catholics will soon become the largest religious group in Great Britain, outnumbering Anglicans for the first time since the Reformation.
The Church Universal is alive and well. Because we are a little sick in Europe and in some places in America does not mean that Church as a whole is in trouble.
Rather, we spoiled brats in America and Europe ought to learn a thing or two about the Faith from our Third-world brethren.
God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary
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