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 Americas. Those regions showed an increase of 8.3 million, 1.49 million and 6.6 million baptised Catholics respectively in 2021.

However, Europe witnessed a decline of 244,000 Catholics during the same period. Asia demonstrated significant growth, contributing to 11 per cent of the global Catholic population.

The centre of the Church is "moving away from Europe and toward Asia and Africa where there's vibrant growth" said Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen. Overbeck is Germany's delegate to the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union.

Clergy Dynamics

Worldwide, the clergy increased to 407,872 priests. This was highlighted by growth in Asia (1 per cent), Africa (3 per cent) and Oceania (0.2 per cent).

Europe and America however experienced declines of 2.2 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.

The global number of bishops declined, except in Africa, which added seven bishops in 2021.

However Asia saw a decline in bishops with 804, down by four from the previous year.

Seminarian numbers decreased in Asia but increased in Africa.

Educational and Charitable Initiatives in Asia

The report also sheds light on the Catholic Church's extensive educational and charitable initiatives in Asia. With around 1.3 million schools (kindergartens, primary, secondary and high schools), the Asian Catholic Church accounts for approximately 50 per cent of similar Catholic institutions worldwide.

Additionally, the Church serves around 13.9 million students across various educational levels.

In healthcare and social services, the Asian Catholic Church operates an estimated 12,208 institutions including hospitals, dispensaries, leprosy centres, homes for the elderly and disabled, orphanages and marriage counselling centres, serving millions in need.

Sources

UCA News

CathNews New Zealand

On Thursday, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said, "We are really concerned, not only for Europe but for all the world, regarding evangelization."

Speaking with reporters during the presentation of World Mission Sunday, the prelate admitted that he's not an "expert" when it comes to the Church in Europe. So, he chose instead to speak more about his home continent.

"Asia is a world of mission, and now they say that Europe is also becoming a mission territory," he said.

"Our experience in Asia is that, though the Holy Spirit is always the major agent in evangelization, we also need living witnesses. Those who through their witness of life, quality of relationship, compassion for the poor, give a living announcement of the Gospel."

Cardinal Tagle's comments have been confirmed in the latest Vatican census that shows Catholicism is growing in Africa, Asia and the America's, but is declining in Europe.

The number of Catholics in the world grew by more than 15 million from 2018 to 2019, according to a census by the Vatican news agency Fides published on 21 Oct.

"The increase applies to all continents, except Europe," which saw the number of Catholic faithful decrease by almost 300,000, the survey found.

The Fides data accounts for all Catholics until 31 Dec, 2019. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent church closures and deaths, experts at a Vatican news conference on Thursday admitted the numbers may have changed substantially during 2020.

The theme chosen for the 2021 celebration of the World Mission Sunday is taken from the Acts of the Apostles: "We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard."

Speaking at the news conference, Cardinal Tagle encouraged the faithful to become "missionaries fueled by compassion and hope."

Mentioning his experience living in Asia, where Catholics represent a minority of the population, the cardinal warned that "if we keep the faith to ourselves, we will become weak. If we keep the faith to a small group, it might become an elite group."

Instead, he continued, Christians and missionaries are called "to reach all the nations, the geographical and existential spaces."

Sources

• Crux
• Religion News
• Agenzia Fides