We all know what’s coming. Everywhere in the developed world, populations are greying. The media are full of stories about the surge in the numbers of the elderly within the next 20 years, while governments have been pushing the age of retirement entitlements upward. Most of the spotlight has been on the new greybeards themselves—the Read more
As Pope Francis prepared to fly to Brazil for World Youth Day, a new study showed that the proportion of Catholics in the country — which has the world’s largest Catholic population — has dropped steadily in recent decades. With Catholicism losing ground especially among the young and city-dwellers, only 46 per cent of the Read more
NEW HAVEN: It’s no surprise that the world’s population is at an all-time high – exceeding 7 billion – although many might not know that it increased by 5 billion during the past century alone, rising from less than 2 billion in 1914. And many people would be surprised – even shocked – to know Read more
The number of Christians in the Palestinian Territories where Christ was born has halved since 2000, dropping from 2 per cent of the population to 1 per cent — a “social disaster” in the opinion of a researcher. And in Jerusalem there were 27,000 Christians in 1948, but today there are only 5000, according to Read more
Catholic doctors in Bangladesh often ignore Church teaching on abortion and birth control because they are afraid they will lose their job or lose patients. The doctors’ predicament came to light during a “Faith in the Life of Medical Professionals” workshop organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Healthcare and the Association of Catholic Doctors. Read more
There are more Catholics in Ireland than ever before, but the church is losing market share due to a surge in other religions and non-believers, the Independent news site reported. The report, quoting a new census on religion, said the Catholic Church now has 3.86 million members in Ireland, but a growing population – including Read more
Pressure is mounting in China for a change in the “one-child” policy that has resulted in forced abortions and sterilisations, according to a New York Times report. Recent reports of local officials coercing women into late-term abortions have prompted an outcry among policy advisers and scholars who are trying to push central government officials to Read more