The Incredible Shrinking Catholic Church

Catholic World News ^ | May 2003 | Kenneth C. Jones

[Robert Drobot]

nice numbers. do you have a nice ( credible ) source as well?

[big'ol_freeper]

See post #43.

[Campion]

The truth is Catholic churches built to hold hundreds now have a handful at mass.

Some do. Mine was built in the 1840's, is in a depressed inner-city neighborhood, is now a mission run out of a neighboring parish, and offers 1 mass per week.

And that Mass is SRO, and most of the adults in the congregation are in their 30's or early 40's, with loads of kids in tow.

[Campion]

A LOT has changed since this article was written in 2003, especially the reception of some of the most powerful Protestant theologians into the Catholic Church. Why are you posting it now?

My diocese had only a couple of seminarians in 2003. Now, under a new bishop, we have 15 or maybe more. We've also received several ex-Episcopalian clergy, some of whom will pursue ordination to the priesthood.

[Salvation]

You still have not answered my question about why you are posting an article in 2007 that is dated 2003??

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1840739/posts?page=26#26

Couldn’t be trying to dig up negative things about the Catholic Church, now, could it??? (A little sarcasm there, I know.)

[Talking_Mouse]

My diocese had only a couple of seminarians in 2003. Now, under a new bishop, we have 15 or maybe more. We've also received several ex-Episcopalian clergy, some of whom will pursue ordination to the priesthood.

For Pentecost I was at the church of the priest who is the priest to call for vocation (sorry, having a brain cramp on what that title is). The two young men assisting him were both seminarians. One was from Vietnam -- he had spent 2 years in prison for his faith (his uncle is still in prison in Vietnam). The other was from that parish, had finished High School last year and was now fulfilling his dream of studying for the priesthood.

The Holy Spirit is answering prayers for vocations.

[Coleus]

And with all that growth, here in the USA more than half of all Catholics voted for Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and more than half voted in Democrat congressman and senators in the 2006 elections. >>>

and what doest that have to do with the growth of the rcc? you’re off topic. And the state a Massachusetts, a primarily catholic state, has the lowest divorce rate in the USA while the so-called bible belt has the highest. they seemed to ignore Matthew 19. Meanwhile, many mainstream protestant churches are begging for members, they have one service on a Sunday and still can’t manage to get 50 people to attend. They’re closing them down all the time.

[Truth_will_rule_eventually]

I have defined God in my own image? How so? I have found a God who loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for me and the whole world (John 3:16). I made the decision to follow Him (John 1:12) because the Father drew me to Himself (John 6:44). I realized that I was a sinner and He forgave my sins. I became born again when Jesus came into my being and abided with me after I believed.

God has said again and again to come to Him in the Old and New Testament (Isaiah 1:18, Revelation 22:17). So I did.

[Truth_will_rule_eventually]

In Romans 9, God chose Jacob for the purpose of carrying forth what God wanted, 1) that Jacob’s line would be a nation who stood above all other nations to show them God working in their lives; and 2) that the Messiah would come through Jacob, not Esau. Esau could have made better use of his life if he had sought God and obeyed Him.

May I add some Scripture that I feel that the Lord wants me to say to yours? Romans 10:8,9 and 10; that is, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

May I add this too? Romans 10:14-17, “But then how can they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things!’ But they (meaning Israel) have not obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Here it is the responsibility of every person who hears the Word of God to say yes or no to Jesus becoming their Lord and Savior.

[redhead]

I think things have started to turn around since this was written (2003). I posted an article to my blog a couple of years ago using the same statistics. But I think there's been a definite upswing in the positive numbers since then. For example, the conservative, traditional seminaries and convents don't seem to have enough room for all the applicants who seek acceptance, which is a very good thing, obviously. (On the other hand, liberal dioceses are ordaining one man every two or three years...hmmm...)

The election of Benedict XVI has had a wonderful effect on Church statistics, but the numbers probably won't be public for a while yet.

[LadyDoc]

ah, but all we need to counteract this terrible fall in faith is to become a saint.

Are you doing that?

[Miss Marple]

Not my parish. We have five weekday masses in English, plus an Hispanic mass which has increased from 300 to 600in less than a year.

We have several seminarians and a new priest who will be ordained next month.

My husband and I are CONVERTS from Protestantism, and we were both in RCIA classes which numbered over 50.

The Church is alive and well. Sorry if some don't like it, but that's the way it is.

Quite frankly, I really don't care what the polls or the critics say. I have joined the One True Church, after years of wandering in the conflicting opinions of various branches of Protestantism. I am home, and am glad to be there.

[narses]

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This is a reposting of an OLD thread. In spite of multiple requests, the poster, a known and often virulent anti-Catholic, has failed to explain this out-dated post. I have hit the abuse button and complained. I suggest you do as your conscience dictates, but I see this as a deliberate effort to sow discord among the forum.

[tiki]

I just saw this when I read another reply. It made me laugh out loud. My Catholic church is very well attended and so is the other parish in my city. How many Catholic masses have you attended lately?

I'll ask you again, how do you know that the Bible you use is the inspired Word of God?

[LambSlave]

Let them go to the Protestants. It would be much more honest on their part, and then the Protestants would have to pay their salaries.

It is not my purpose to debate with you, only that you sincerely examine what you are saying to see if it matches what you really mean to say. Does this wish arise from God, or from some other source? You wish men you call heretics to lead not only themselves but also others astray? Do you find such a notion in Scriptures or the tradition of the church? Paul encountered a situation much like this in Corinth, when those who embraced herectical or immoral ideas spread by the false teachers influenced the church, and he reprimanded them harshly and attempted through his acts to bring them to repentence. He certainly didn't tell the leaders of that church to expel these men and to throw them into another flock!! His instruction was founded on love; to forgive the offender(s) who repented (2 Cor 2:5-11) and even for the unrepentent, the step of removing them from the church was done in love, with steadfast hope of their eventual repentance and salvation (1 Cor 5:1-4). You appear to have no love or concern for the salvation of either the wayward brothers in your own denomination or those you believe are misguided in other denominations. I will pray for you, that you would receive God's grace in abundance, and that you might give mercy as freely as He has given to you.

[livius]

You can’t forgive a heretic until he has repented. If people do not wish to abide by Catholic doctrine, they should be honest and separate themselves. Staying in the Church lets them lead many, many more people astray than if they left.

Their repentance and reconciliation is always a possibility. But they have to do it, and cannot be kept within the bosom of the Church to poison others if they do not do so. And the bishops are falling down on their duty to protect the flock if they do not declare this.

[B-Chan]

That's good news! Although it is only thirty years or so old, our little parish church is almost always full at all three Sunday masses, too. Yes, that's three.

And its mostly people under 50 with lots of little kids.

[William Terrell]

And how is it, would you say, that there are those who do not believe, nor confess, and show no interest in that path at all? Is this a vessel made unto dishonor, tare sown by the adversary?

And one who some to Christ later in his life. Is that God's time for it, or just the one's choice? If our hearts are filled with the desire to serve God and find His kingdom, who are we to say this came about of us or God?

What is the source of the desire itself?

[Alex Murphy]

You can’t forgive a heretic until he has repented.

This is the only part of your post that I'd disagree with. IMO you can forgive them. But there's a whole bunch of other stuff that you should(n't) do until they repent.

If people do not wish to abide by Catholic doctrine, they should be honest and separate themselves. Staying in the Church lets them lead many, many more people astray than if they left.

Amen!

Their repentance and reconciliation is always a possibility. But they have to do it, and cannot be kept within the bosom of the Church to poison others if they do not do so. And the bishops are falling down on their duty to protect the flock if they do not declare this.

Amen, amen, and AMEN livius! IMO this equally applies to those in Protestant denominations as it does to the Catholic church. This is why I don't believe that Catholics should be so eager to trumpet the growth the current church is experiencing. Until (unless) a change in public morality matches the change in membership numbers, any real growth is IMO illusionary and deceptive.

[WriteOn]

Still the longest lived institution on the planet, even when arguing amongst themselves, she’ll be here long after the mainline protestant denominations have gone, which doesn’t seem likely to be much longer. Then she’ll outlast the muslims, and be there at the second coming.