The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.
Catholics
Pew: U.S. Christianity Downturn Leveling, but Catholics Suffer ‘Greatest Net Losses’
A multiyear decline in Christianity in the U.S. may have leveled off, according to a new survey by Pew Research Center. However, the Catholic Church, the survey found, is seeing the greatest net losses of believers compared to other religions in the U.S.
FBI Targeting Catholics Similar to NY’s Post-9/11 Surveillance of Muslims
While it remains unclear if, or how much, the FBI followed through on an internal proposal to investigate traditionalist Catholics’ association with extremists, the proposal itself somewhat mirrors tactics the New York Police Department used to investigate Muslim communities after 9/11.
Vatican Calls Catholics, Hindus to Work Together to Counter Tensions
At a time when tensions are growing, fueled by “blatant misuse of social media” and by political manipulation, Catholics and Hindus are called to teach personal responsibility for civilized behavior and to promote “respect, love and trust” among people, a Vatican office said.
Vatican Statistics Show Global Imbalance in Ratio of Catholics per Priest
The number of Catholics and of Catholic men and women who devote their lives to serving them continues to grow in Africa and Asia, Vatican statistics show, but pastoral ministry is still much more readily available to Catholics in Europe.
Catholics Lead Way in Vaccination Rate Among Religious Groups
Catholics’ rate of vaccinations against COVID-19 stands at 82%, outpacing vaccinations among other groups, according to a nationwide study conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Dedication Mass Shows St. Michael’s Diversity
At the dedication Mass, readings were done in Tagalog, Spanish, English and Mandarin. The church has parishioners from almost 50 countries, according to pastor Father John Vesey, and has seven Masses every Sunday. Some services were cancelled on Sept. 22 to encourage parishioners to attend the dedication Mass.