The 98th World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, October 20, 2024, goes beyond the memory of a date, it brings with it a living and exemplary meaning of how to live Jesus’ mandate today, announcing plentiful redemption to the world. For our Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, it also serves as a pause for reflection on the Redemptorist charism. The mission and example of Saint Alphonsus become one in our commitment to live every day as missionaries of hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer.
Go and invite everyone to the banquet (cf. Mt 22:9)
“For this year’s World Mission Day, I have drawn the theme from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (see Mt 22:1-14). After the guests have refused the invitation, the king, the protagonist of the story, says to his servants: “Go now to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast”(v. 9). Reflecting on this key word, in the context of the parable and the life of Jesus, we can highlight some important aspects of evangelization. They are particularly timely for all of us, missionary disciples of Christ, in this final phase of the synodal journey which, in accordance with the motto “Communion, participation, mission”, must relaunch the Church towards her priority commitment, that is, the proclamation of the Gospel in the contemporary world.” (The Message of the Holy Father Francis for World Mission Day 2024)
Summary of Catholic Church Statistics Data for 2024:
Catholic Church Statistics 2024 : This publication offers a panoramic picture of the Church in the world.
The data and tables are taken from the latest published “Statistical Yearbook of the Church” (updated to 31 December 2022) and concern the members of the Church, pastoral structures, activities in the health, welfare and education fields.
Here is just a summary of the data:
As of December 31, 2022, the world population was 7,838,944,000, an increase of 53,175,000 compared to the previous year. The positive trend is confirmed for all continents, except Europe.
As of December 31, 2022, the number of Catholics was 1,389,573,000 people with an overall increase of 13,721,000 Catholics compared to the previous year. In this case too, the increase in Catholics affects four of the five continents. Only in Europe is there a decrease in the number of Catholics: -474,000. As in previous years, the increase in Catholics is more marked in Africa (+7,271,000) and America (+5,912,000). Asia (+889,000) and Oceania (+123,000) follow. The percentage of Catholics in the world population has increased slightly (+0.03) compared to the previous year, and is equal to 17.7%. With regard to the individual continents, the variations in this figure are minimal.
The total number of Bishops in the world increased by 13 units compared to the previous year’s survey, reaching 5,353. Diocesan Bishops increased (+19) and religious Bishops decreased (-6). Diocesan Bishops are 2,682, while religious Bishops are 2,671.
The total number of priests in the world has decreased: 407,730 (-142 in the last year). Europe has once again recorded a significant decrease (-2,745), followed by America (-164). As in the previous year, significant increases were recorded in Africa (+1,676) and Asia (+1,160). Oceania, after the increase last year, is now back in the red (-69). Diocesan priests in the world have decreased globally by 439 units, reaching the number of 279,171. Religious priests have increased in total by 297 units and are 128,559.
Even in the latest annual survey, permanent deacons in the world continue to increase (+974), reaching 50,159. The increase is recorded in Africa (+1), Asia (+15) and Europe (+267). They decrease in America (-308) and Oceania (-1).
The number of non-priest religious decreased by 360 units compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 49,414. The decreases were recorded in Africa (-229), Europe (-382) and Oceania (-27) while they increased in America (+27) and Asia (+251). The most recent survey also confirmed the global decreasing trend of religious women that has been underway for some time: they are 599,228 (-9,730). The increases were, once again, in Africa (+1,358) and Asia (+74), while they continued to decrease in Europe (-7,012), America (-1,358) and Oceania (–225).
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Read about the missions carried out by the Redemptorists and associated lay people:
