A leading German bishop has labelled new church statistics as alarming. Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, chair of the German Bishops’ Conference, stated “The figures show that the church is in a comprehensive crisis”. The statistics revealed a significant drop in Catholic Church membership. Approximately 403,000 Catholics left the church last year, reducing the total Read more
In a recently released Vatican report, the Catholic Church’s global landscape reflects contrasting trends, with growth in Asia while Europe experiences a decline. The annual statistics, published in the Church’s Yearly Book of Statistics, reveal noteworthy shifts in the distribution of the Catholic population. The report indicates a robust expansion in Africa, Asia and the Read more
The latest Church statistics reveal significant shifts in the Catholic Church’s demographics, notably a decline in bishops and priests while the number of permanent deacons has grown. Also significant for New Zealand is the number of seminarians in Asia is declining. Partial vocations relief in the form of female deacons is “on the table” at Read more
The Catholic Church in the Philippines registered more than 1.6 million baptisms in 2020, the highest number in the world. The figures come from the 2022 edition of the Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook) and the 2020 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (Statistical Yearbook of the Church), compiled by the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics. The yearbook Read more
According to the last census, Catholics are now the largest Christian denomination in New Zealand. But they are not the fastest- growing. “Here’s the interesting thing,” writes Narelle Henson, “a group called simply “Protestants” by Statistics New Zealand grew by 26.4 percent from the previous census in 2006.” A group called “Evangelical, Born Again and Fundamental” Read more
The latest edition of the ‘Church’s Book of Statistics’ was released to coincide with World Mission Sunday. The book details members of the Church, church structures, healthcare, welfare and education. World population To 31 December 2013 the world population was 7,093,798,000 with an increase of 70,421,000 compared with the previous year. Population growth was registered Read more