Pope Benedict received the Annuario Pontificio, the Catholic annual year book, on Saturday. The presentation was made by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Key in the findings is that the number of Catholics has increased, especially in Asia and Africa, and globally Catholics now make up 17.5% of the world’s population.
As well as an 1.3% increase in the number of Catholics, other features revealed in the Annuario Pontificio include:
- a significant increase in the number of bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians
- the decline of male religious seems to have halted
- the decline of women religious continues
- the number of priests fell sharply in Europe
- the number of priests in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas increased
- global energy for the Catholic Church is moving away from Europe to the south
The Holy Father has recently concentrated much of his New Evangelisation efforts towards Europe where the new Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation is trying to reawaken the Catholic consciousness.
Sources