Every year, in view of World Mission Day celebrated this year on October 21, Fides News Service publishes statistics that describe the Church’s missionary activities throughout the world. Included in those statistics is information about permanent deacons.
Catholics number 1,195,671,000 from a total world population of 6,848,550,000. This is an increase of over 15 million people since 2010. There are nearly 4 million more Catholics on the American continents. Overall, there is only a 0.4% increased percentage of Catholics worldwide, i.e., 17.46% of the world’s population is Catholic.
The number of permanent deacons in the world increased by 1409 to a total of 39,564 in the world. The Americas experienced an increase of 859 deacons and Europe had an increase of 496, followed by Asia with 58 and Oceania with one. Africa lost six.
The number of new priests worldwide was 1643. The number of new bishops was 39.
I remain convinced that a huge resource for the Church in the upcoming century will be permanent deacons. Our ministry is just beginning to be recognized in many ways, despite the fact that we have been around since 1969. It will take another generation of men, serving faithfully as deacons, before diaconal ministry becomes as well known and accepted as priestly ministry.
Read more at: www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=32421&lang=eng
Pray for your local deacon, and his family if he is (was) married.
