Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) –
The Annuarium Pontificium 2015 and the Annuarium Statisticum
Ecclesiae 2013 have been issued this morning. The former reveals some
new aspects of the life of the Church that have emerged between
February 2014 and February 2015, and the latter illustrates the
changes that took place in 2013.
The statistics referring to the year
2013, show the dynamics of the Catholic Church in the world's 2,989
ecclesiastical circumscriptions. It may be seen that in this period
one diocese and two eparchies have been elevated to the level of
metropolitan sees; three new episcopal sees, three eparchies and one
archiepiscopal exarchate have been erected; one territorial prelature
has been elevated to a diocese, and one apostolic prefecture to an
apostolic vicariate.
Since 2005, the number of Catholics
worldwide has increased from 1,115 million to 1,254 million, an
increase of 139 million faithful. During the last two years, the
presence of baptised Catholics in the world has increased from 17.3%
to 17.7%.
There has been a 34% increase in
Catholics in Africa, which has experienced a population increase of
1.9% between 2005 and 2013. The increase of Catholics in Asia (3.2%
in 2013, compared to 2.9% in 2005) has been higher than that of
population growth in Asia. In America Catholics continue to represent
63% of a growing population. In Europe, where the population is
stagnant, there has been a slight increase in the number of baptised
faithful in recent years. The percentage of baptised Catholics in
Oceania remains stable although in a declining population.
From 2012 to 2013 the number of bishops
has increased by 40 from 5,133 to 5,173. In North America and Oceania
there has been a reduction of 6 and 5 bishops respectively, in
contrast to an increase of 23 in the rest of the American continent,
5 in Africa, 14 in Asia and 9 in Europe.
The number of priests, diocesan and
religious, increased from 414,313 in 2012 to 415,348 in 2013.
Candidates to the priesthood –
diocesan and religious – dropped from 120,616 in 2011 to 118,251 in
2013 (-2%). An increase of 1.5% is recorded in Africa, compared to a
decrease of 0.5% in Asia, 3.6% in Europe and 5.2% in North America.
The number of permanent deacons
continues to grow well, passing from 33,391 in 2005 to 43,000 in
2013. They are present in North America and Europe in particular
(96.7%), with the remaining 2.4% distributed between Africa, Asia and
Oceania.
The number of professed religious other
than priests has grown by 1%, from 54,708 in 2005 to 55,000 in 2013.
They have increased in number in Africa by 6% and Asia by 30%, and
decreased in America (2,8%), Europe (10.9%) and Oceania (2%). The
significant reduction in women religious is affirmed: currently
693,575 compared to 760,529 in 2005: -18.3% in Europe, -17.1 % in
Oceania, and -15.5 in America. However, an increase of 18% in Africa
and 10% in Asia is recorded.
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