A Growing Church
Reverse Mission
The Church in Europe is experiencing a significant decrease in religious and priestly vocations. Ireland is no exception to this trend, as pointed out in the last editorial of the Catholic Voice. Vocations from the local Church and reaching out in missionary activity are normally seen as key indicators of the vitality of a diocese or nation. Older Churches have difficulties but the Young Churches, many of which were given life by Irish missionaries, have a growing number of healthy vocations. As the number of Irish missionaries decline, about 1970 at last count, the Young Churches are increasing their involvement in sending missionaries to other Young Churches, often sharing of their poverty despite local demands. This is in addition to sending some personnel to the Older Churches. In the last decade there have been a growing number of priests and sisters from Africa ministering in Ireland.
Church Statistics
The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples situated in the Vatican is the central body for promoting, directing and coordinating the missionary activity of the Church. In 2009, it is responsible for 1094 dioceses, or their equivalent, in missionary territories. Of these, 493 are in Africa and 470 in Asia, an indication of the growth of the Church in these formerly neglected continents. During October, the month of mission, the Vatican Congregation, through its Fides News Services, offers a panorama of Catholic missionary activity, based on the latest confirmed statistics for 31st December 2007. While one must be careful in the use of statistics, they nevertheless give an indication of the growing vitality of the Church in the continents of Asia and Africa.
Catholics
Recent figures show that there is a growth not only in the number of Catholics worldwide, but also in the percentage of Catholics in the overall world population. On the 31st December 2007, there were 1,146,656,000 Catholics in the world. There was an overall increase of 15,906,000 more than the previous year in every continent as follows: Africa +6,612,000; America +5,535,000; Asia +2,428,000; Europe +1,132,000; and in Oceania +199,000. The world percentage of Catholics increased by 0.05% settling at 17.33%; increases by continent were registered in Africa +0.40%; in Asia +0.02%; and in Europe +0.03%. A slight drop in numbers of -0.17% was registered in both America and in Oceania.
Priests
In Ireland the average age of priests is growing, while there is a decline in the number of active priests. However this is not the picture worldwide. If one compares numbers with the previous year, the total number of priests in the world increased by 762 to 408,024. The continents which registered a decrease were Europe (-2,260) and Oceania (-55), whereas the number of priests grew in Africa (+1,180); America (+376) and Asia (+1,521). The figures show a discernible trend in the numbers of diocesan versus religious priests. Diocesan priests increased by 1340 reaching a total of 272,431 with increases in Africa (+1024); America (+853); Asia (+864) but showed a slight drop in Oceania (-9), and again a major decrease in Europe (-1392). The number of religious priests decreased by 578 to a total of 135,593. Increases were registered as in recent years in Asia (+657) and Africa (+156), whereas numbers dropped in America (-447), Europe (-868) and Oceania (-46).
Brothers
The number of religious brothers in Ireland is declining, typical of the picture throughout Europe. Overall, the Church has 54,956 religious brothers. There were 151 less brothers at the end of 2007. While there were increases in Africa (+75); Asia (+36); America (+111) and Oceania (+19), the decrease of 392 in Europe affected the world figure.
Sisters
At the end of 2007, there were 746,841 religious sisters in the Universal Church. This was a remarkable decrease of 6586 in just one year. The increases in Africa (+1178) and Asia (+2838) were offset by deceases of 5843 in Europe, 4650 in America and 109 in Oceania.
Lay Missionaries
There has been a significant increase in the number of lay missionaries in the world. Long term and short term lay missionaries numbered 250,464. This was an increase of 33,696 since 2006, with 31,417 of these being missionaries in the American continent, North and South.
Seminarians
The ageing population of priests in America and Europe can take little comfort from the ever decreasing number of seminarians in these continents. While the numbers grew in Africa (+695), Oceania (+5) and Asia (+595), there was a further decline of 381 in America and 475 in Europe. Overall, there were 115,919 seminarians in study for the priesthood. Most commentators would say that Europe still has a good supply of priests, with one priest for every 1457 Catholics. This has to be favourably contrasted with the figure of one priest for every 4759 Catholics in Africa.
If you would like to find out more about the official Catholic charity for supporting native vocations in mission lands, Society of St Peter Apostle, or you would like to make a donation please visit www.wmi.ie. Alternatively you can write to World Missions, Ireland, 64 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6 or visit www.wmi.ie
This article was original produced in the Catholic Voice