Catholics Look to a Unified Ireland Post-Brexit

While out celebrating the life and work of St. Patrick, I picked up a copy of The Irish Herald published on the West Coast (Volume 57, No. 07). As I sat drinking my Guinness I was rather intrigued by the headline story as Northern Ireland may not be as non-Catholic as Americans may think.  Here were some interesting excerpts from that piece:

Support for uniting Ireland has risen dramatically on both sides on the Irish border in large part because of the calamitous Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016. While jingoistic British politicians were urging their public to leave the European Union and enter the promised land of a 'free and independent' UK, precious little consideration was given to the impact such a move might have on either the south or the north of Ireland. The more things change the more they stay the same... 

Since the partition of Ireland in 1921, Catholics in the north have been subjected to human and civil rights abuses and have been treated as second class citizens. The GFA [Good Friday Agreement] was supposed to end all that but intransigence from the unionist body politic, notably from the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest unionist party, has prevented many important remedies contained in the GFA from becoming reality. 

In 1921 the Catholic population of the six counties that make up 'Northern Ireland' was a mere 35 percent, and it was that way by design. The partition was never supposed to end. The border, which has become the singular focus of the entire Brexit exercise, is proof of that. All 310 miles of it, winding it's way through farms, parishes and townlands, was drawn up in the way which would exclude the most Catholics. The intention was undeniable. Lord Carigavon the North's first Prime Minister proudly declared as his slogan: 'A Protestant Parliament for a Protestant people.' 

But as they say, nothing lasts forever. Shifting demographics have put the unity question at the top of the agenda. In the last census Catholics (who predominantly favor a united Ireland) made up 45 percent of the population while Protestants (who tend to support the union with Britain) made up 48 percent. A deeper look into those statistics reveals that he protestant population will still makes up almost two thirds of those over 65, whereas in the younger age groups Catholics now make up the majority. 

'It's a massive demographic shift. In five to ten years there'll be a Catholic majority in Northern Ireland,' said Peter Shirlow, director of the University of Liverpool's Institute of Irish Studies. It will take a few more years for this overall majority to translate into an electoral majority, 'but a majority for a united Ireland is going to happen, (there is) no doubt about that,' added Shirlow.

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A Majority of Catholics in No Generational Group Attend Weekly Mass

This is the latest Catholic League press release on a serious issue as more and more Catholics continue to violate the 4th Commandment:

Catholic Church Attendance Drops

April 9, 2018

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a new Gallup poll of Catholics:

We knew that younger Catholics were going to church in fewer numbers than in the past, but what is new about this Gallup poll is the decline among older Catholics. Overall, only 39 percent of Catholics say they attend church weekly, and among those aged 60 and over the figure is 49 percent. This means that "for the first time, a majority of Catholics in no generational group attend weekly."

In 1955, 73 percent of those aged 21-29 attended church weekly, but now the figure is 25 percent. Among those 60 and over, 73 percent attended church weekly in 1955, but now the figure is 49 percent.

The number of young people professing no religion, nationwide, was only 1 percent in 1955. Today it is 33 percent. That is an increase of 3200 percent!

The Gallup poll reports the data, but offers no explanation.

There are many reasons for the decline in church attendance. Here are seven core reasons.

1) The declining role of religion in elementary and secondary education has been dramatic. 

2) Higher education has become increasingly hostile to religion, especially Christianity.

3) The pop culture, as manifested on TV, the movies, and music, is marked by a libertinism that is at odds with Christianity.

4) The ascendancy of moral relativism—the denial of moral absolutes— has engulfed society. The nation's cultural elites are responsible for this outcome, including, sadly, some religious leaders.

5) Declining marriage rates, and birthrates among married couples, has made it easier for parents to neglect their religious duties, including  obligations to their own children.

6) Those over the age of 60 are the baby boomers, a generation that in their youth experienced the decadence of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of them entered their senior years without a strong religious background.

7) The Catholic clergy, which in the 1950s expected the faithful to attend church—and they did—lowered their expectations in subsequent decades, yielding predictable results.

There is no iron law of history, except on the blackboard of ignorant professors, so a reversal of events is possible. But a culture doesn't change by happenstance: it takes a determined effort on the part of the nation's elites to reverse course. Regrettably, that day has yet to come.

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USCCB: Number of Religious Sisters

These from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Religious Retirement Office:

The number of religious sisters at the end of 2006 is 55,500. Average age is 70. 73% are 65 and older.

Let us pray that vocations increase for the Traditional religious orders. They are, after all, the only orders with newer vocations.

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Survey shows Italian Catholics Ignorant of the Faith

This news is very disheartening. I try to consistently teach true Catholicism on this weblog and as a priest, I hope to continue teaching. I wish that more priests would educate their parishioners because this is very unsettling.

Apr. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A survey of Italian Catholics has discovered a startling lack of basic information about the content of the faith.

A poll of 600 Catholics, conducted by the firm Ferrari, Nasi and Grisantelli for the newspaper Il Giornale, found that just 50% of respondents knew that Jesus Christ had composed the “Our Father,” while 56% could correctly identify the Holy Trinity, and 23% did not know that Easter is the feast celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. 59% were unable to name the four evangelists while 24% do not recognize that Jesus is both God and man.

While 60% of respondents identified themselves as very or moderately religious, only 9% answered all survey questions correctly; 17% were wrong in their answers to every question.

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Czech Republic: 50% are Atheists

This is very disheartening news.

O Lord, misere nobis!

Half of the people of the Czech Republic do not believe in God, according to a new survey.

The poll by the STEM research organization found that 50% of the country’s people reject belief in God, while 26% believe and the remaining 24% profess uncertainty.

Source: Catholic World News

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Roman Catholics to become largest denomination in UK

From Catholic World News:

London, Feb. 16, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Roman Catholics will soon become the largest religious group in Great Britain, outnumbering Anglicans for the first time since the Reformation, the London Times reports.

Weekly Mass attendance at Catholic parishes now stands at about 1 million, roughly equal to the number attending Anglican services. But the Catholic population of Britain is steadily expanding, mostly because of immigration, while the Anglican community is in decline, the Times observes.

I'd be interested in hearing opinions from any of my readers from Great Britain.

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Vocations are Booming in Mexico

Vocations Booming in Mexico

KOENIGSTEIN, Germany, DEC. 5, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Mexico is seeing a veritable boom in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, says an official of Aid to the Church in Need.

"There are about 12,000 young men preparing for the priesthood in Mexican major seminaries, while 15,000 active priests are serving the faithful," said Xavier Legorreta, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Latin America I section.

"In addition, there are some 32,000 religious sisters," the expert said today upon his return from a visit to the country, where he attended the general assembly of the bishops' conference.

"One of the fundamental reasons for the Church being lively and rich in vocations is the persecution it suffered during the 1930s, which 'helped' Catholics to defend their faith," Legorreta said.

The official said that "the formation of seminarians and support for contemplative sisters are priorities for our charity."

He added: "Today, Mexico is -- together with Colombia -- one of the countries that send out most missionaries to the world and especially to Europe."

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Study Regarding Mass Dropouts in Australia

The Mass = the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross as the Eucharist (Communion) is truly Jesus Christ! We need to hope for better catechism in the future. A lot of these dropouts do not understand what a wonder they are truly missing! We don't go to Mass to get something out of it; we go to praise the King of Kings.

DISILLUSIONMENT with the Catholic Church in the wake of sexual abuse scandals has contributed to a steady decline in Mass attendance, a report to the church's 43 bishops says [regarding Australia].

It also cites the restricted roles of women in the church, and a feeling that its leaders are "not intelligent, not vibrant and not relevant" as reasons for the decline.

Those who have stopped going to Mass who were interviewed for the church project Disconnected Catholics, published yesterday, complained of the silencing of prominent theologians and other Catholic thinkers, decisions being made without consultation and a church focused on rules, not compassion.

Some said their parish priest promoted an anti-intellectual environment where "his word was law and critical thinking discouraged". Others pointed to their priest's problem with alcohol, sexual indiscretions or abuse as a key reason for not attending Mass.

For some Catholics, faith no longer provided meaning or made sense. However, this was not driven by better education or widening scientific knowledge but a questioning of church teachings, the role of religion in world conflicts and a sense of uncertainty about the meaning of life and the existence of God, the study said.

"They spoke about fear and guilt, saying that these things prevented them from being able to trust in God and reach a more mature faith. Even after they had stopped going to Mass, they continued to feel guilt and to be conscious of a fear of going to hell."

Catholic bishops promised yesterday to learn from the study's findings and use it to form pastoral strategies to reach out to those Catholics who had ceased practising their faith and "chart a way forward".

The bishops noted that many of the study's participants were still open to returning to Mass. Half said they still attended Mass occasionally, and almost one-third said they might return to weekly Mass attendance.

Attendance has been falling in all age groups under 75 but, worryingly for the church, it has identified up to 60,000 young Catholics between the 1991 and 2001 censuses who no longer identified themselves as such.

"The research project is part of our deep and ongoing desire to connect with people who have left the church and to listen to their experiences, so that we might identify ways to reach out to them and welcome them back," the bishops said.

The research on Disconnected Catholics was carried out by the Pastoral Projects Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and involved interviewing 41 Catholics aged between 29 and 74. Other reasons given for non-attendance included time clashes with sport, work or family, people not feeling welcomed, sheer laziness and unkind gossip.

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Ukrainian Catholic Seminarians and Priests Evangelizing Soldiers

This is a very positive story, and in our negative world, positive stories are, I believe, extremely important. Remember, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is part of the Universal Catholic Church.

From Catholic News Agency:

Konigstein, Oct. 13, 2006 (CNA) - Fr. Bohdan Prach, rector of Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said his seminarians have had great success in their efforts to evangelize men and women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine.

Prach said the pastoral work of many of Holy Sprit Seminary’s 220 seminarians involves outreach and evangelization in the Ukranian Army. “There are already young priests serving military units in Lviv and Western Ukraine. As a result, the atmosphere in the army has considerably improved,” Fr. Prach said.”

“Also, there are many adult baptisms which come as a fruit of these catechetical efforts,” he added.

Military service is compulsory in Ukraine, thus a large number of Ukrainian young people can be reached through such spiritual support of the military.

The rector made his comments on a recent visit to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) headquarters in Königstein, Germany. Fr. Prach was visiting to thank the international aid organization for their support, which has helped with the construction and upkeep of his seminary’s physical plant as well as with the formation of its seminarians, he said.

“ACN and its benefactors are indeed our most outstanding friends,” Prach said.

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US Catholic Population Statistics: 2005

US Catholic Population: 69,135,254 (rose by 1.3 million)

Number of students in Catholic high schools: 680,000 (drop by 13,000)

Number of students in Catholic elementary schools: 1.76 million (drop by 84,000)

Number of teachers in Catholic schools: 173,000 (drop by 8,000)

Number of high school students enrolled in parish religious education programs: 729,000 (drop by 26,000)

Number of Elementary students in religious education: 3.5 million (drop by 81,000)

Number of students in Catholic colleges and universities: 764,000 (drop by 9,000)

Church-recognized marriages: 212,000 (drop by 11,000)

Confirmations: 630,000 (drop by 15,000)

First Holy Communions: 833,000 (drop by 40,000)

Infant baptisms: 943,000 (drop by 34,000)

Adult baptisms and receptions into the Church: 154,000 (same as the previous year)

Priestly Ordinations: 438 (drop by 29)

Number of priests in U.S. dioceses and religious orders: 42,271 (drop by 1,151)

Number of permanent deacons: 14,995 (drop by 32 - the first time the number has dropped since Vatican II in the 1960s)

Number of new parishes opened: 46

Number of Catholic hospitals: 573 (drop by 8)

Number of patients helped at Catholic hospitals: 84.7 million (rose by 2.5 million)

Source Statistics: The-Tidings.com\

Image Source: Francis Cardinal Spellman, Pre-Vatican II

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Protestant numbers are down; Catholics steady

For the first time since the foundation of our country, the United States may have less than 50% of its population as Protestants. From 1993 to 2002, Protestants dropped from 63% of the population to 52% of the population. According to the researchers, it will drop below 50% in the next two years. Catholics remained steady at 25% of the population.

Unfortunately, the number of people claiming no religion has climbed from 9% to 14%. We desperately need to pray that these people see Jesus Christ and see the full truth of the Catholic faith! The number of people adhering to Islam, Orthodox Christians, interdenominational Christians and native-American faiths rose from 3% to 7%. The number of people claiming the Jewish faith remains just below 2%.

Note: Protestants are defined as "all post-Reformation Christian churches, such as Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian, including Mormons and New Age Spirituality adherents."

Source: NORC at the University of Chicago
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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US Catholic Population to Increase

The US Catholic population is going to take a significant jump by 2025, in large part due to immigrants from Latinos. It remains to be seen if immigration reform will affect this to a large degree. Similarly, these statistics do not reveal the devoutness of adherents.

"Catholic Latinos will likely increase to 40 million in 2025, more than triple the 13 million in 1990. Total growth in the U.S. Catholic population will amount to 29 million by 2025. Virtually all of the growth (26 million) will be due to the Hispanic population. Proportionally, their share of the Catholic population will double, to 48%, over the 35-year period."

Source: Zenit

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What is the Chicago Tribune thinking???

 

The Chicago Tribune has published a shocking article on our faith in France.

Here is part of it:

In France and in almost every other European country, Christianity appears to be in a free fall. Although up to 88 percent of the French identify themselves as Roman Catholic, only about 5 percent go to church on most Sundays; 60 percent say they "never" or "practically never" go.

But Islam is a thriving force. The 12 million to 15 million Muslims who live in Europe make up less than 5 percent of the total population, but the vitality of their faith has led some experts to predict that Islam will become the continent's dominant faith.

...

"Mass is boring," said Odon Vallet, a religion professor at the Sorbonne. "The ceremony isn't very beautiful; the music is bad; the sermon is uninteresting. Mass is for people who have nothing else to do on a Sunday--no sports, no hobbies, no shopping, no entertainment."

I guess Mr. Vallet has not been to a Mass in a long time because when I go I witness bread and wine become Jesus Christ. I watch the greatest of all miracles and commemorate the Sacrifice on the Cross. I take part in a event were souls are released from purgatory and graces pour forth like rays of light from the sun. I go there to receive the King of Heaven and earth. Mr. Vallet has no idea at all what he is talking about.

My priest gives excellent homilies usually. The music can also be so invigorating at some parishes like St. John Cantius in Chicago. And Paris is home to the beautiful St. Nicholas Parish.

I think it horrible that France, which was nearly destroyed in World War II, has forgotten that without God they would not be here today. It is horrible that people of there do not appreciate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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Younger Priests Are More Traditional

When I was reading Enormous Prayers: A Journey into the Priesthood, I came across some statistics that I wanted to share on my blog. According to a Times survey, priests under the age of 35 only account for 6% of all priests. However, according to the survey, 40% of them are very conservative/traditional priests. This is more than double the percentage of priests over 35 that are traditional.

Do you think this is true?

As someone desiring to serve as a priest, I can tell you that I am a very traditional person under the age of 35. And I can also say that many of the younger priests I know are traditional. I, for one, plan on using incense in the Masses that I celebrate as well as incorporating some Latin. I think people need to see our history. Children today are never brought into contact with the Latin Mass – the Mass that existed for centuries. I think they should at least be exposed to this Mass sometime in their lives.

Source: Enormous Prayers: A Journey into the Priesthood (page 41)
Image Source: June 2006 FSSP Ordinations/NLM

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Pray for Religious Vocations

Please say a prayer for an increase in vocations to religious life. I just read this:

"Let's look at the numbers in the US first. In 1965, at the end of the Council, there were 58,000 priests. Now there are 41,000. By 2020, if present trends continue (and there is no sign of a dramatic upsurge in vocations), there will be only 31,000 priests, and half of those will be over 70. (To offer a personal example of the effect of these demographics, I was ordained in 1981 at the age of 27. Today, at the age of 52, I can still attend gatherings of priests and find myself one of the younger members present.) In 1965, 1,575 new priests were ordained. In 2005, the number was 454, a decrease of more than two-thirds — and remember that the Catholic population in the US increased during these years from 45.6 million in 1965 to the 64.8 million of 2005, a rise of almost 50%."

by Father John McCloskey
The State of the US Catholic Church at the Beginning of 2006

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World Catholic Population: 2003

 

With statistics now out for 2003, the Catholic population grew by 15 million and on all continents but Europe where it fell be slightly over 200,000. I pray the Church grows and all Christians become united in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church one day. Only through prayer and example can we make Christ's prayer in the Garden true: "...That they might be one."

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US Catholic Population

Here are some statistics I found from a local diocese paper:

From 1978 to 2004 the US Catholic population increased from 49,836,176 to 67,259,768. Overall the entire Catholic population during that time saw a 44% increase. Parishes also increased from 18,625 to 19,431.

However, the number of priests actually dropped from 58,485 to 44,212. There was a total 2.6% drop during this time span, and I certainly hope the their will be more priests. It seems that society doesn't view the priesthood much anymore, and many people don't think it requires any intelligence or work.

But, once again, Christ tell us, "You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16, Douay Rheims). The priesthood is a calling and the most important one a person can get. My advice is to ask yourself, if you're single, if God is calling you that way and if He is, then talk with another priest on possibly going into the priesthood. I'm considering this possibility and just wanted to share these statistics.

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The Church in Latin America

A recent survey found that 71 percent of South Americans consider themselves Catholic, down from 80 percent in 1995. Protestants or evangelicals increased from 3 to 13 percent in that same period.

Yet, the Church still has high credibility in the eyes of 73 % of Latin Americans.

Latin America has some of the greatest Catholic countries in the world with Latin America now following Europe in the number of cardinals. Europe has 52% of cardinals with Latin America at 17%. In addition, there are 1.12 billion Roman Catholics in the world with only 25% in Europe compared to 43% in Latin America (statistics here are from the February 28, 2005 issue of Newsweek).

Source: Catholic Online

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