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Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

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Is Catholicism Thriving?

Question:

Is the Catholic Church growing in number of members?

Answer:

The Church is growing by leaps and bounds in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. You can do your own internet search to get the growth numbers in those areas. Here’s one: So, How’s the Catholic Church Really Doing?

In the Western/European world, there has been a decline in the numbers of Catholics and practicing Catholics. But that is just one part of the world; it isn’t the measuring stick for the entire Church. At one time northern Africa was a dominant center of Christianity, and Europe was populated with pagan barbarians. Over the centuries the faith dissipated from northern Africa, and Europe became a dominant center of Christianity.

There have been ebbs and flows, rises and declines of the Church in various parts of the world since A.D. 33. Ultimately, we trust in the promise of Jesus that the gates of hell will never prevail against his Church.

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