African Catholic Church Growing Rapidly

Yahoo ^ | April 15, 2005 | TERRY LEONARD

[dangus]

>> Wish we had this problem in our churches. <<

We do in Northern Virginia.

[Ciexyz]

Good for another bump.

[thegreatbeast]

And if you mean that the American parish member, instead of the taxpayer, is giving dimes for (Catholic) church growth you are still wrong.

Barbrastreisand. Collections for missions were regular part of our masses ever since I was a lad.
That said, I was speaking out of bitterness as to what has happened to the Church, particularly around here (MA) and I shouldn't have done so. Was it begign neglect or something worse? At any rate, the Faith was neglected here and we are impoverished both financially and in the number of the faithful.

[Petronski]

Cold!



:O)

[spetznaz]

No probs. I actually went too far in my response as well (mea culpa, mea maxima culpa). Although I am not a Catholic every year or so I go to visit family in St.Paul, Minnesota, who go to a Catholic church, and the scene there is pretty mush as it is in Europe. Many old members and very few young ones. I've often wondered what would have caused such a shift, but not to much avail. Might you have an answer?

[cyborg]

Okay fair enough. I'll bet we can all agree that the state of the Roman Catholic church in America is pretty sad. I don't think having women priests, single priests marrying, girl alta servers, and other liberal machinations are the answer. I think the sex abuse cover ups had a lot to do with weakening the Church's authority and relevancy in people's lives.

[FYREDEUS]

I find it interesting that the Church seems to be having more success in Africa than many other Western institutions, so yes black African Catholic missionaries being sent to Europe to stem the Islamic tide in France and elsewhere would be ironic eh? ;-)

How likely is a black African like Cardinal Arinze to be chosen THIS conclave? I'd think a Latin American pope might be more likely right now [increasing Protestant evangelism in Latin America may seem a more immediate threat to the Church to address with a Latin American Pope] but I think it may well happen eventually, and it would be quite ironic indeed if by that time Europe has become thoroughly Islamicized while Africa has become the bastion of the Church...hey maybe there's an sci-fi or 'alternate history' story in there somewhere; African Crusaders fighting their way NORTH to reclaim Rome for the Faithful? ;-)...lol.

[MadIvan]

Africa has traditionally been a conservative bastion of the Christian faith, whether Anglican or Catholic. I would be delighted if the next several Popes came from there.

Sky News ran an item about the oldest chapel in Africa, in Mozambique, established in 1552 by the Portuguese. Still well attended.

Regards, Ivan