VATICAN - PONTIFICAL YEAR BOOK 2004: NUMBER OF PRIESTS REMAINS STABLE, INCREASE IN PERMANENT DEACONS AND LAY MISSIONARIES, NUMBERS OF SEMINARIANS RISING IN AFRICA AND AMERICA

Wednesday, 4 February 2004

Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Pontifical Year Book 2004 presented to Pope John Paul II yesterday 3 February by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, supplies information on the pastoral activity of the Catholic Church in the world. In 2003 the Pope created 30 new Cardinals, established 19 new dioceses, 1 Apostolic Exarchate, 1 Military Ordinariate, 1 Apostolic Prefecture; he elevated 4 dioceses to the rank of Metropolitan See and appointed 175 new bishops.
In the world’s population of 6.21 billion, Catholics are 1.07 billion or 17.2% distributed by continent as follows: 50% in America, 26.1% in Europe, 12.8% in Africa, 10.3% in Asia and 0.8% in Oceania. In those continents the percentage of Catholics among the respective population is: 62.4% in America, 40.5% in Europe, 26.8% in Oceania, 16.5% in Africa and 3.0% in Asia.
Persons engaged in pastoral work are 4.217.572 as follows: 4.695 bishops, 405.058 priests (267.334 diocesan), 30.097 permanent deacons, 54.828 Brothers, 782.932 Sisters (51.371 in enclosed orders), 28.766 members of secular institutes, 143.745 lay missionaries and 2.767.451 catechists. Compared with 2001, the total number of priests remains stable (405.067 in 2001). Although diocesan priests have increased in number (from 266.448 in 2001 to 267.334 in 2002), Religious priests decreased (from 138.619 to 137.724). Whereas in the same period there was an increase in permanent deacons (3.1%) and lay missionaries (3.4%).
Major Seminarians number 112.982, compared to 112.244 in 2001 and increase of 0.7%. The flow of candidates for the priesthood is good in Africa (+ 5.8%) and America (+ 1.4%), but numbers drop slightly in Europe and Asia. (S.L.) (Fides Service 4/2/2004; lines 24; words: 318)


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