The Catholic Church continues to add faithful

Despite the difficulties that some Christians have for their faith in various countries, the number of faithful to Christ is increasing. Specifically, in the last year 15 million new Christians have been registered throughout the world, especially due to the growth in Africa and America.

Agenzia Fides has published some reports on the state of the world Church around the Domund day and which have been echoed by Vatican News and Religion in Liberty, among other media. Specifically, those corresponding to 2020, the year of Covid, registered a total of 1,359.6 million Catholics worldwide, which represents just over a fifth of the entire world population (7,667 million). These 1,359.6 million Catholics represent 15.2 million more than the previous year, an annual increase that is usual despite the rise of the Internet, scandals and persecution (including kidnappings and murders) in many countries. And within this increase, the 6.46 million more faithful who have joined in America and the 5.29 million who have joined in Africa stand out, being the two great hopes for the Catholic faithful.

In the ranking of total numbers of Catholics, of the 1,359.6 million, the largest number is concentrated in America, with 653.67 million, a continent to which Spain was the country that led the evangelization. It is followed by Europe, with 286.3 million, only 734,000 more than in 2019; Africa, with 256.8 million; Asia, with 151.87 million (2.73 million more); and far behind is Oceania, with 10.93 million, 9,000 fewer than in 2019.

Therefore, faith in Christ is stronger than the persecution and humiliation suffered by some Christians in many countries of Africa, Asia and America.