Where have all the Catholics gone? (England).London--The latest statistics for the Catholic Church of England Church of England: see England, Church of. and Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. show a sharp decline in most areas of Church life since the Sixties. Figures are taken from The National Catholic Directory. What are the reasons for the decline? Opinions vary. Some blame the hedonistic he·don·ism n. 1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. 2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. society which has enveloped en·vel·op tr.v. en·vel·oped, en·vel·op·ing, en·vel·ops 1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering: "Accompanying the darkness, a stillness envelops the city" Western Europe and North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. (where many countries, including Canada, show comparable changes in Catholic practice). Others point to the role of parish leadership which, in turn, has become very dependent on the success or lack of success of the parish priest. Others again point to the leadership--or lack thereof--on the part of bishops. Some ask: has the post-Vatican-II liturgy been beneficial or has it made the liturgy banal? What has been the effect of theological dissent? Explanations are undoubtedly complex. Meanwhile, in England and Wales England and Wales are both constituent countries of the United Kingdom, that together share a single legal system: English law. Legislatively, England and Wales are treated as a single unit (see State (law)) for the conflict of laws. (as perhaps also in Canada) the number of Catholics has grown-though it is just now beginning to shrink. But attendance and the use of the sacraments have plummeted. Moreover, as one observer pointed out, the 1997 number of 5,712 priests already included 10 per cent retirees. Within a few years, the number could be down to 4,000, mostly elderly. Sources: The Tablet, June 19, July 10, Aug. 14, '99, Christian Order, June/July '99. (See also Letters to the Editor, pages 5-7, and Editorial.)
1944 1964 1984 1997
Priests 6,030 7,714 6,816 5,712
Ordinations 178 230 92 *119
Baptisms 71,604 137,673 71,598 67,384
Marriages 30,946 48,592 28,081 14,705
Converts 8,722 12,348 5,146 5,098
Catholics 2,372,074 3,827,000 4,220,262 4,134,000
Mass 1,866,800 2,114,219 1,512,533 1,088,268
attendance (1954) *(1996)
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