www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Numbers, Byzantine Catholics, USA: 1990-2005

The Eastern Catholic Churches,
Statistics from the Annuario Pontificio 2005:

Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church USA - 99,381.

Rome's number for the year 1990: 268,161.


The comparison is dramatic, and underscores the need for true Evangelization - beginning with ourselves.
May we be a powerful Beacon of His Light and Life for the world instead of a flickering flame.

I believe we can trust the fact that the reported numbers are way down and that the most recent figures are more accurate but can we trust either of the figures?

Be that as it may statistics are essential. They are like redness that indicates infection. We need better stats and much more complete. But not so much to prompt us to evangelize. We should be constantly doing that. But as a goad to be revived in God's Spirit.

Check out the Byzntine Evangelization forum for ideas. www.byzantineevanglization.com [byzantineevangelization.com]

Contact us for help and ideas. We are BEMA (Byzantine Evangelization and Mission Association)

CDL

Is that an "apples to apples" comparison of data? I'm curious if the totals in the 1990 research include more than just the USA.

If it is true comparison, those numbers are horrific. What is the projected attrition rate in the next decade?

We could be in for a bumpy ride unless the tide turns.

Gordo

"Preach the Word, both in and out of season."
- St. Paul

Statistics are not all that relevant. I doubt the 70 million figure for the Latin Rite in the USA is accurate, and in fact many Latin parishes where I live are shrinking.

As I see it, the Ruthenian Church (and all the other Byzantine Rite Churches) needs to continue the process of de-latinization, because as long as we look and act like Latin Catholics, there is no reason to join us. We cannot out "Latin" the Latins.

We are already out "latining" ourselves!

Most of the Western Church is stagnant, with bad homilies, heretical teachings from the pulpits, liturgical abuses, etc, etc, etc...ad infinitum.

If the Eastern Churches are dwindling, it's part of the status quo in America.

Only 30% believe that Our Lord is truly present in the Eucharist. Way less than 50% attend Mass/Divine Liturgy every week. It is the sign of the times.

Well said!

One Latinization that we could do without is the virtual extinction of minor orders. These are ministries which help foster the pleroma or fullness of Eastern Catholic liturgical and parish life. They are also a good way to help build an emerging leadership bench.

Additionally, we need proclaim the Gospel and cultivate a fully orthodox spirituality among the faithful. Let's shed the latinisms like the Rosary from parish life, while replacing them with Matins, Vespers, Akathists and the use of the Jesus Prayer. We need to foster and educate the faithful on our spiritual patrimony, which is more than just certain liturgical and spiritual practices. It is a whole approach to the therapeutic science of faith: orthodoxy and orthopraxis.

I am trying personally to begin within my self and my own family.

Pray for me a sinner!

Gordo

I agree.

I think I need to explain myself a little more.

I meant that the changes after Vatican II were taken to the nth degree of insanity: lesbian nuns promoting goddess worship (near Terre Haute, IN); liturgical dancing; children at the altar dring the consecration and the Precious Blood of Christ being offered in plastic cups (Noblesville, IN); secular music, parshioners dancing, and intinction (Schaumburg, IL.)

This is how the Western Church is out latining herself.

Amen, amen, amen, stick to your venerable Eastern traditions fully. Don't let this abominable stuff happen to your parishes

The comparison to the 1990 number is indeed dramatic. But the reasons for this have been linked to changes in reporting practices, as has been discussed many times here. A less dramatic comparision is to the 2002 number of 100,688.
A net drop is not a good thing, but an net drop of ~500/yr is far less dramatic than a net drop of ~11,000/yr.

There are areas around me that have lost many people. They moved away. They aren't coming back anytime soon. When my cousins moved away I can tell you they didn't stay Orthodox. They are either protestant or Roman Catholic.
So how to do you grow a church in a place where there are no younger people to keep the church going after the elders are gone? Even the few younger people with kids aren't going to help. Not many stay behind.
Ok, enough of being cynical.
Even in the nearest city of around 100,000 ish there is one byzantine parish, I'm not saying which sui juris. Only 10-15 people attend, and they really don't have a priest, only when they can borrow one to come say liturgy.
At the same time the evangelicals attract new people in droves around here.
They have exciting things for the kids and parents.
But what happens when all that novelty wears off? The people go build another church that comforms to a new fad.
Sorry to ramble.

Like I said, I think alot of it has to do with people moving around and not having access to a eastern parish.

For a considerable length of time now, Latin Dioceses and Eastern Eparchies worldwide have been required to submit their statistics annually.

Whether this is being done accurately or not comes as a nagging question.

In Latin parishes, however, records are being kept as accurately as possible and are fed to the diocesan chancery for further record-keeping. These numbers are in turn culled by the USCCB and forwarded to Rome.

Thus, the reported 70 million Latins in the US for the AP 2005 (which reflects numbers as at the end of 2004) should be accurate, + or - for minor errors. Numbers are net of deaths and outflow to other religious confessions.

If I still recall, the USCCB reported last year that infant baptisms in the US alone were slightly over 1 million, converts at around 150,000 and adult baptisms at around 90,000.

The problem with the statistics for the Pittsburgh Metropolia is the base number, which could have been not that accurate in the first place.

Amado

P.S. There should be no misperception of "registered" parishioners as against "regular" or "actual" attendance. The Annuario Pontificio reports "registered" parishoners.

The 70 million number was simply a round number and was not based upon any actual surveys, but the USCCB in 2003 put the actual number of baptized Catholics in America at 63.4 million. Now of course this figure does not reflect the number of practicing Catholics in the USA, which is somewhere below 50% (the number of active Catholics was at 48% of baptized Catholics in 1988). Statistical information should not be overemphasized, because it really does not tell us that much about the Church.

The main point in this statistical analysis is partly to determine the state of the BCCA. And it appears that she is in the decline as far as membership is concerned.

As if to justify this decline, the Latin Church was dragged into the picture with a side comment that it is also happening with her.

My point is that the Latin Church in the US is not declining in membership as a whole. Some parishes may have been closed but their membership are simply absorbed by other neighboring parishes. There is a slow but progressive increase in her membership for the reason I already stated AND immigration, especially from Hispanic countries.

Now, even if we halve the figure cited (63.4 at the end of 2003), 30 million Latin Catholics would still be the single largest block of believers here in the U.S. And with that number as a building block, the Latin Church in the U.S. would still have an enormous base from which to grow. Remember there are around 19,000 Latin parishes in the U.S.? (I cited the million-a-year plus baptisms, conversions, and immigration to underscore their importance to the sustenance of the Church.)

Compare this to a Church that has a base of only 100,000 members, most of which are aging inexorably.

Don't worry about the Latin Church, she can take care of herself, thank you. Let's worry about the state of the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the U.S.

Amado

Thanks for your clarification, but my point was simply that Christian practice in general is in decline in the USA.

>>>Don't worry about the Latin Church, she can take care of herself, thank you. Let's worry about the state of the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the U.S.

I am a member of the Latin Rite and I don't think that the Latin Rite in general is any better off than the Byzantine Rite. Sure, there are many, many more Latins numerically. But if it were not for Latino immagration the Latin Rite in this country would be in significant decline.

Numbers are not really important. The spiritual state and fervor of the average Catholic in this country is what is important. The state of the Liturgy and catechesis in the Latin Rite is absolutely atrocious currently and the average Catholic does not seem to care much for their soul.

The Byzantine Catholics could be at an advantage for a true renewal in a way because of their relatively small numbers. I they hope they accomplish it.