Three C of I Parishes to move to communion with Rome…
Whilst the decision of the Traditional Anglican Communion to seek corporate communion with the Catholic Church is largely uncontroversial in most places where some 440,000 folk are expected to go along with the move. In most other places, it is largely a doctrinal matter of personal conscience. In Ireland, where there are Parishes in counties Down, Laois and Tyrone, it is likely to throw up some cultural eddies. If the parishes are to be allowed continue side by side with the traditional Catholic ones, it might also be reasonably expected that they will continue with their own traditional Anglican rite, as opposed to the Roman rite. That could lead to some, highly localised, mixing between what have long been two entirely discrete communities in the same local area.
Interesting times…
I don’t think people should get their knickers in a twist over the idea that the Pope wants other churches to unite under his authority. Looked at objectively the Pope has said as much himself. That’s largely what his recent trip to Turkey was about. He mostly wasn’t there for the benefit of Muslims but rather to meet with the Orthodox Patriarch to try to draw the churches closer together.
Of course any merger would require adjustment to doctrines that may never happen. The Roman Catholic church is not in a position of strength however. Strange as it may seem a fifth of Latin Americans have now become Protestants, mostly Evangelical, and the Philippines isn’t far in following behind in terms of growth. The rapid growth of Christianity in China is also disproportionately Protestant and Evangelical. China will account for a large proportion of the world’s Christians in the future. It’s current 5% may not sound like much but it is growing quickly and that’s 5% of a hell of a lot of people.
In the west the Roman Catholic church (though to be fair the traditional Protestant churches as well) are leaking out members no non-religiousness at a great rate too. Though in terms of raw bums on seats numbers the non-western world is more important, and increasingly so.
Strange as it may seem a fifth of Latin Americans have now become Protestants, mostly Evangelical, and the Philippines isn’t far in following behind in terms of growth.
Petran
Interesting statement but my question is how did this trend come about, these are exclusively Catholic populations.
Outsider, you’re going to have to provide a source for that.
Outsider, you’re going to have to provide a source for that.
Comrade Stalin
I was just making an obsevation as I felt these populations were predominantly Catholic I have no sources Im afraid.
On how many Latin Americans have become Protestant,
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion/jan-june05/protestant_6-14.html
(both text and video)
http://independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1969
“In Guatemala, about 30 percent of the population considers itself Protestant today and the success of the “assault†on Catholicism can be measured, for instance, in the fact that the Christian Fraternity, the largest evangelical group, is about to inaugurate the biggest religious building in Central America—it will seat 12,200 people. In Brazil, God’s Assembly, the strongest Pentecostal movement in the country, brings crowds that easily rival those of soccer matches. Between one-fifth and one-fourth of Brazil’s population has deserted the Catholic Church in favor of Protestant churches.”
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/459/pope-brazil-visit
http://pewforum.org/surveys/pentecostal/
(look at the “Religious Demographic Profiles” box for stats)