"the largest non-government provider of education and health care in the world, while the diplomatic status of the Holy See facilitates the access of its vast international network of charities. Most of the figures are taken from the CIA Factbook or PEW Research Center Surveys. According to the CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center, the five countries with the largest number of Catholics are, in decreasing order of Catholic population, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and Italy. The country where the membership of the church is the largest percentage of the population is Vatican City at 100%,"
"followed by East Timor at 97%. According to the Census of the 2017 ""Annuario Pontificio"" (Pontifical Yearbook), the number of Catholics in the world was about 1.285 billion at the end of 2015. Conflicting numbers can be found in 2013 research conducted by the Brazilian polling institute Datafolha. This report states that the percentage of the population in Brazil of Catholic religion, over the age of 16 years, is just 57%, in contrast to the 64.63% published by CIA and to the 68.6% of Pew Research Center. Also, the 2010 Mexican Census showed this percentage to be 83.9%against a 91.89%"
"population. Catholics represent about half of all Christians. Geographic distribution of Catholics worldwide continues to shift, with 17% in Africa, 48% in the Americas, 11% Asia, 23% in Europe, and 1% in Oceania. Catholic ministers include ordained clergy, lay ecclesial ministers, missionaries, and catechists. Also as of the end of 2014, there were 465,595 ordained clergy, including 5,237 bishops, 415,792 presbyters (diocesan and religious), and 44,566 deacons (permanent). Non-ordained ministers included 3,157,568 catechists, 367,679 lay missionaries, and 39,951 lay ecclesial ministers. Catholics who have committed to religious or consecrated life instead of marriage or single celibacy, as a state of"
"Catholic Church in Lithuania The Catholic Church in Lithuania is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Lithuania has the highest density of Catholics of all the Baltic states: there are two million Catholics, which is 79% of the total population (2002). The country is divided into eight dioceses including two archdioceses and a military ordinariate. In 2007 there were 779 Catholic priests and 677 parishes. Lithuania is the northernmost predominantly Catholic country in the world, being slightly farther north than the Republic of Ireland. Catholicism has been the majority denomination since"
"(72). Lists of cathedrals This is a list of cathedrals by country, including both actual cathedrals (seats of bishops in episcopal denominations, such as Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy) and a few prominent churches from non-episcopal denominations commonly referred to as ""cathedral"", usually having formerly acquired that status. As of September 2018, the Catholic Church had 3,384 cathedral-""level"" churches; Cathedral (3,033), Co-cathedral (309), and Pro-cathedral (42) status around the world, predominantly in countries with a significant Roman Catholic population: Italy (368), Brazil (287), United States (215), India (183), France (110), Mexico (100), Spain (88), Philippines (87), Colombia (86), Canada (79) and"
"Lists of cathedrals This is a list of cathedrals by country, including both actual cathedrals (seats of bishops in episcopal denominations, such as Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy) and a few prominent churches from non-episcopal denominations commonly referred to as ""cathedral"", usually having formerly acquired that status. As of September 2018, the Catholic Church had 3,384 cathedral-""level"" churches; Cathedral (3,033), Co-cathedral (309), and Pro-cathedral (42) status around the world, predominantly in countries with a significant Roman Catholic population: Italy (368), Brazil (287), United States (215), India (183), France (110), Mexico (100), Spain (88), Philippines (87), Colombia (86), Canada (79) and Argentina"
"Catholic Church in the United States The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. With 20.8% of the United States population as of 2018, the Catholic Church is the country's second largest single religious group after Protestantism, but the country's largest religious denomination. The United States has the fourth largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines, the largest Catholic minority population, and the largest English-speaking Catholic population. The central leadership body of the Catholic Church in the United States is the U.S."
"Catholic Church in Vietnam The Catholic Church in Vietnam is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of Bishops in Vietnam who are in communion with the Pope in Rome. Vietnam has the fifth largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines, India, China and Indonesia. According to ""Catholic Hierarchy Catalog"", there are 6,332,700 Catholics in Vietnam, representing 7.0% of the total population. There are 26 dioceses (including three archdioceses) with 2228 parishes and 2668 priests. The first Catholic missionaries visited Vietnam from Portugal at the beginning of the 16th century. The earliest missions did not bring"
"Catholic Church in India The Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope and the curia in Rome. There are over 19.9 million Catholics in India, which represents around 1.55% of the total population and the Catholic church is the largest Christian church within India. There are 174 dioceses in India organised into 30 provinces. Of these, 132 are Latin Catholic Church, 31 Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and 11 Syro-Malankara Catholic Church dioceses. Despite the small percentage, India has the second largest Catholic population in Asia after the Philippines, due to India's"
"5.7 million Catholics in the United Kingdom; 4,155,100 in England and Wales (7.4%), 841,053 in Scotland (15.9%), and 738,033 in Northern Ireland (40.76%). In large parts of Northern Ireland, Catholicism is the dominant religion. Also in a few Scottish council areas Catholics outnumber other religions, including in the most populous one: Catholics outnumber members of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow City (27% versus 23%). Other council areas in which Catholics outnumber members of the Church of Scotland are North Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, and West Dunbartonshire, according to the 2011 Scottish Census. Catholic Church in the United Kingdom The Catholic Church"
"Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide . As the world's ""oldest continuously functioning international institution"", it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. The church is headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope. Its central administration, the Holy See, is in the Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy. Catholic theology is based on the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church founded by"
"Catholic Church in Europe The Catholic Church in Europe, also known as Roman Catholic Church in Europe, is part of worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome, including represented Eastern Catholic missions. Demographically, Catholics are the largest religious group in Europe, while church attendance has declined in the past decades. About 35% of the population of Europe today is Catholic, but only about a quarter of all Catholics worldwide reside in Europe. This is due in part to the movement and immigration at various times of largely Catholic European ethnic groups (such as the Irish,"
"Catholic Church in Hungary The Catholic Church in Hungary () is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are around 3.842 million Catholics in Hungary — or 39% of the population (2011 census). The country is divided into 12 dioceses including 4 archdioceses. In addition, there is a territorial abbey and a separate sui juris particular Church for those who adhere to the Byzantine Rite known as the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church. The Church has been in decline in recent decades in Hungary; although the decline has not been as dramatic"
"in 1951, to 7.6%, in 2001. Catholic Church membership in 2013 was 1.254 billion, which is 17.7% of the world population, an increase from 437 million, in 1950 and 654 million, in 1970. The main growth areas have been Asia and Africa, 39% and 32%, respectively, since 2000. Since 2010, the rate of increase was of 0.3% in the Americas and Europe. On the other hand, Eric Kaufman, of University of London, argued that the main reason for expansion of Catholicism and conservative Protestantism along with other religions is because their religions tend to be ""pro-natal"" and they have more"
"the few remaining territorial abbeys within the Catholic Church. About 11% of the population of South Korea (roughly 5.8 million) are Catholics, with about 1,734 parishes and 5,360 priests as of 2017. By proportion of a national population and by raw number of adherents, South Korea ranks among the most strongly Catholic countries in Asia after the Philippines. Catholic Church in Korea The Catholic Church in Korea is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The Catholic hierarchy in Korea has never been divided between South and North, in the same manner"
"The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with approximately 82.9% of the population claiming to be Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church has been one of the most active religious organizations in the country in opposition to the LGBT community. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines firmly states that marriage should only exist between a man and a woman. Also, they have called on individuals and politicians to actively oppose same-sex marriage. They said that individuals should refuse to take part in ceremonies celebrating same-sex relationships and politicians should resist legalizing marriages of same-sex couples. They also stated that"
"former Israeli consul in Italy claimed: ""The Catholic Church saved more Jewish lives during the war than all the other churches, religious institutions, and rescue organisations put together."" South America, historically Catholic, has experienced a large Evangelical and Pentecostal infusion in the 20th century due to the influx of Christian missionaries from abroad. For example: Brazil, South America's largest country, is the largest Catholic country in the world, and at the same time is the largest Evangelical country in the world (based on population). Some of the largest Christian congregations in the world are found in Brazil. In 1939, Pope"
"published data from the 2011 Croatian census included a crosstab of ethnicity and religion which showed that a total of 3,697,143 Catholic believers (86.28% of the total population) was divided between the following ethnic groups: Within Croatia the hierarchy consists of: The bishops are organized into the Croatian Conference of Bishops, which is presided by the Archbishop of Zadar Mons. Želimir Puljić. There are also historical bishoprics, including: As of 2009, there were 1570 Catholic parishes in Croatia. There are three Franciscan provinces in the country: Although the vast majority of Croatians declare themselves as Catholics, many of them do"
"Peter and Paul Church in Vilnius. The oldest wooden church of Lithuania is in Paluse, Ignalina district. Catholic Church in Lithuania The Catholic Church in Lithuania is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Lithuania has the highest density of Catholics of all the Baltic states: there are two million Catholics, which is 79% of the total population (2002). The country is divided into eight dioceses including two archdioceses and a military ordinariate. In 2007 there were 779 Catholic priests and 677 parishes. Lithuania is the northernmost predominantly Catholic country in the"
"Catholic Church in Kazakhstan The Catholic Church in Kazakhstan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. There are approximately 250,000 Catholics in Kazakhstan out of a population of 15 million. Most Catholics in the country are ethnic Poles, Germans and Lithuanians. There are 3,000 Greek Catholics, also referred to as Eastern Rite Catholics, in the country. The population of Catholics decreased after the fall of communism as many German Catholics emigrated to Germany. In the second century AD, Christian Roman prisoners of war were taken to what is now Kazakhstan after"
"network Univision commissioned a World Values Survey of 12,038 self-identified Catholics in 12 countries with substantial Catholic populations across the world, representing 61% of the world’s Catholic population and covering nine languages spread across five continents. It found that majorities of Catholics globally and in most regions disagree with Church teachings on divorce, abortion, and contraception, with greater intra- and inter-national division on gay marriage and the ordination of women and divorced men. Favourable views about the Pope (Francis) did not influence Catholics who disagree with at least some of the church's teachings. Overall, a higher proportion of Third World"
"Catholic Church in Indonesia The Catholic Church in Indonesia () is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. Catholicism is one of the six approved religions in Indonesia, the others being Islam, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. According to official figures, Catholics made up 2.9% percent of the population in 2010. The number of the Catholics is therefore nearly 7.5 million. Indonesia is primarily Muslim, but Catholicism is the dominant faith in certain areas of the country. The Church is organised into ten archdioceses and 27 dioceses, all dioceses are member of"
"such as China, India and Central Asia, where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam. The United States is home to the world's largest Christian population, followed by Brazil and Mexico. Many Christians not only live under, but also have an official status in, a state religion of the following nations: Armenia (Armenian Apostolic Church), Costa Rica (Roman Catholic Church), Denmark (Church of Denmark), El Salvador (Roman Catholic Church), England (Church of England), Georgia (Georgian Orthodox church), Greece (Church of Greece), Iceland (Church of Iceland), Liechtenstein (Roman Catholic Church), Malta (Roman Catholic Church), Monaco (Roman Catholic Church), Romania (Romanian Orthodox"
"Catholic Church in Norway The Catholic Church in Norway is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the Curia in Rome and the Scandinavian Bishops Conference. There were, as of May 2014, over 151,000 registered Catholics in Norway. It is claimed there are many Catholics who are not registered with their personal identification number and who are not reported by the local church; the full number may be as high as 230,000, 70% of whom were born abroad. That constitutes about 5% of the population, making Norway the most Catholic country in Nordic Europe."
"Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Of a population of 70,916,439, there are about 35 million Catholics in the country, representing about half of the total population There are six archdioceses and 41 dioceses. The largest of these is the Archdiocese of Kinshasa; the Vicar General of Kinshasa, Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Nlandu Mayi, is an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy For Life. The impact of the Catholic Church in the"
"Catholic, has experienced a large Evangelical and Pentecostal infusion in the 20th century due to the influx of Christian missionaries from abroad. For example: Brazil, South America's largest country, is the largest Catholic country in the world, and at the same time is the largest Evangelical country in the world (based on population). Some of the largest Christian congregations in the world are found in Brazil. The following links give an overview of the history of Christianity: The following link provides quantitative data related to Christianity and other major religions, including rates of adherence at different points in time: History"
"Only six countries are predominantly Christian: Asian Russia which is predominantly the Russian Orthodox Church ;Cyprus, which is predominantly Orthodox; the Philippines, which is the third-largest Roman Catholic nation in the world; Timor Leste, which is the most overwhelming Christian (99.6%) and Roman Catholic nation in Asia (97.6%) ; Armenia, which was the first state to adopt a Christian denomination as its state religion; and Georgia. Christianity also accounts for 29.2% of South Korea's population (54.5% of its religious population) and is now the predominant religion in South Korea, Christianity is also a large minority religion in Lebanon accounting for"
"Christianity in the Philippines The Philippines is the 5th largest Christian country on Earth, with about 90% of the population being adherents. It is also one of two predominantly Roman Catholic nations in Asia (the other being East Timor) and, , was the third largest Catholic country in the world. (other two nations are Brazil and Mexico). According to the National Statistics Office's national census for the year 2010, an estimated 90.1% of Filipinos are Christians which consists of 80.6% Roman Catholic, 2.7% Evangelical, 2.4% Iglesia ni Cristo, 1.0% Aglipayan, and 3.4% other Christian groups including other Protestant denominations (Baptist,"
"Church. The CIA Factbook gives a number of 87.2% belonging to the Catholic Church in 2012. Throughout Europe the rates of religious observance has steadily decreased. Poland has also been following this trend; however, it still remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe. Polish Catholics participate in the sacraments more frequently than their counterparts in most Western European and North American countries. A 2009 study by the Church itself revealed that 80% of Poles go to confession at least once a year, while 60% of the respondents say they do so more often than once a year."
"Catholic Church in Turkey The Catholic Church in Turkey is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the canonical leadership of the curia in Rome. Turkey is notable for being the only country with territory in Europe, other than Estonia, to have never had a Catholic bishop from its own dominant ethnic group in recent centuries. In the 2000s, there are around 35,000 Catholics, constituting 0.05% of the population. The faithful follow the Latin, Byzantine, Armenian and Chaldean Rite. Most Latin Rite Catholics are Levantines of mainly Italian or French background, with a"
"Malta, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Croatia and Hungary. At the 2016 Census, the ancestries that Australian Catholics most identified with were 'English' (1.49 million), 'Australian' (1.12 million), Irish (577,000), Italian (567,000) and Filipino (181,000). Despite a growing population of Catholic, weekly Mass attendance has declined from an estimated 74% in the mid-50's to around 14% in 2006. There are seven archdioceses and 32 dioceses, with an estimated 3,000 priests and 9,000 men and women in institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, including six dioceses which cover the whole country: one each for those who belong to"
"Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic The Catholic Church in Dominican Republic is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. There are an estimated 7.6 million baptised Catholics in the Dominican Republic, (78% of the population), in 11 territorial dioceses and one military ordinariate, served by 800 priests. Within the Dominican Republic the hierarchy consists of: The Dominican Republic offers religious freedom, but the Catholic Church still enjoys certain favors, in particular due to a 1954 concordat with"
"the population (with Protestantism at 60.7% and Catholicism 28.5%) while Muslims make up 8.9%. The Catholic Church claims over 1.5 million adherents, approximately one-third of the population. Indigenous belief (animism) is also practiced, and many indigenous beliefs are incorporated into Christian and Islamic practice. A UN director described religious tensions between Muslims and Christians as being high. There are many missionary groups operating in the country, including Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Grace Brethren, and Jehovah's Witnesses. While these missionaries are predominantly from the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, many are also from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and"