PONTIFICAL YEARBOOK FOR 2003 IS PRESENTED TO HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, FEB 8, 2003 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State and Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs, together with those who prepared and printed the Pontifical yearbook for 2003 presented the first copy of the new volume this morning to the Holy Father, who thanked everyone for their participation in its preparation.

A statistical note about the yearbook accompanied the announcement of today's presentation to the Pope.

During 2002 diplomatic relations were established with Qatar, bringing to 175 the number of States with which the Holy See has relations. Among the ecclesiastical circumscriptions created were: 1 new metropolitan, 10 new episcopal sees, 1 apostolic exarch, 2 apostolic vicariates, 1 personal apostolic administration and 1 mission "sui iuris." Nine metropolitan sees were raised, as were 4 episcopal sees, 1 apostolic vicariate and 1 apostolic prefecture. One hundred fifty-eight bishops were appointed.

Baptized Catholics worldwide have gone from 757 million in 1978 to 1,061,000,000 in 2001. There was an increase in Africa of 148 percent, as well as notable growth in Asia, America and Oceania, whereas in Europe the numbers remained rather stable.

Those involved in pastoral work number 4,270,069: 4,649 bishops; 405,067 priests (of whom 266,448 are diocesan); 29,204 permanent deacons; 54,970 non priests professed religious; 792,317 professed religious; 31,512 members of secular institutes; 139,078 lay missionaries and 2,813,252 catechists. In addition to religious of active life, there are 51,973 professed nuns of contemplative life.

The number of religious priests declined from 139,397 to 138,619 in 2001, whereas diocesan priests increased by 667. Permanent deacons have increased by 4.9 percent, members of secular institutes by 2.7 percent, lay missionaries by 10.1 percent and catechists by 6.5 percent.

Candidates to the priesthood increased from 2000 to 2001, going from 110,583 to 112,244. Increases were most significant in Asia, Africa and the Americas, whereas in Europe and Oceania there was a slight drop.

...;2003 PONTIFICAL YEARBOOK;...;...;VIS;20030210;Word: 280;