Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest organizational body of Christians. Its membership is over one billion. 1,085,557,000 is the figure, rounded to the nearest thousand, given in the 2003 Statistical Yearbook of the Church, page 43. Because of obstacles to regular contacts, this figure does not include Roman Catholics in mainland China and perhaps in some other places. According to canon law, members are those who have been baptized in the Catholic Church or have been received into the Catholic Church after being baptized elsewhere, and who have not formally defected.

Worldwide distribution

:For the Roman Catholic Church regionally and by country see :Category:Roman Catholic Church by Country and :Category:Roman Catholic Church by region

Related Topics:
:Category:Roman Catholic Church by Country - :Category:Roman Catholic Church by region

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The total number of Catholics in the world is over one billion. They are found in nearly every country, though they are more concentrated in the Americas and Europe. They currently make up 63% of the population of North and South America, 40% of Europe, roughly 20% of Sub-Saharan Africa, and 3% of Asia http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/ANNU2000.HTM.

Related Topics:
North - South America - Europe - Sub-Saharan Africa - Asia

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In Europe, Catholic majorities are found in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, as well as Northern Ireland, are about equally divided between Catholics and Protestants. In the Czech Republic, Roman Catholics make up 39% of the population. Catholics are a significant minority in Britain, where their faith underwent a revival in the 19th and early 20th Century after three centuries of persecution and official repression.

Related Topics:
Europe - Andorra - Austria - Belgium - Croatia - France - Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Lithuania - Malta - Monaco - Poland - Portugal - San Marino - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Germany - Netherlands - Switzerland - Northern Ireland - Czech Republic - Britain - 19th - 20th Century - Official

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Nearly all Latin American countries have large Catholic majorities, among them such heavyweights as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Peru. Catholics in the United States of America are more numerous than any other single Church: as a result of massive immigration, mainly from countries like Ireland, Italy, Germany (and, later, from Latin America), their number grew from virtually nothing in 1790 to about a quarter of the total population by 1920, a proportion that remains today. Catholics are a large minority in neighbouring Canada, where there has been a strong historical presence of France and much immigration from Catholic countries.

Related Topics:
Latin American - Argentina - Brazil - Mexico - Peru - United States of America - Ireland - Italy - Germany - Canada

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In Asia, the Philippines (once a Spanish colony) and East Timor (a former Portuguese colony) have Catholic majorities, and most Christians in Lebanon are Roman Catholics, while a significant Catholic population has developed in South Korea, India, and Vietnam.

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Philippines - East Timor - Lebanon - South Korea - India - Vietnam

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Catholicism has spread relatively recently to some parts of the world. There are now some 115 million in Africa.

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The number of Catholics in the world continues to increase, through population growth in developing countries and, to a lesser extent, spread to new areas. The increase between 1978 and 2000 was 288 million. Protestant evangelicals have succeeded in making inroads into parts of Latin America, but remain a small percentage of the population. In most industrialized countries, church attendance has decreased since the 19th century, though it remains higher than that of other "mainline" Churches.

Related Topics:
1978 - 2000 - Protestant - Evangelicals - 19th century

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