Catholic Church Becomes a Global Church I

Outline:

A.  A milieu that is receptive to mission activities.  New and renewed Orders.  Lay mission societies.

B.  Gregory XVI’s mission process:  1. mission stations, 2. apostolic prefectures, 3. apostolic vicariates, 4. an indigenous clergy and hierarchy.

C.  Latin America: enemia in 19^th century.  Today:  competition.

            2000 461 million Catholics – 2025  606 million Catholics

            2000 1.06 billion Christians – 2025  1.36 billion Christians

Philip Jenkins: “The Catholic Church has chosen the poor; the poor have chosen the Pentecostals.”  “better than gunships and cheaper!”

D.  Far East:  growth and set-backs.  By 1914, 7,000 lay catechists in China along with 700 Chinese priests, 1,600 seminarians in 54 Chinese seminarians.  Boxer Rebellion slaughters 16,000 Christians.  Today, estimated 100 million Christians in China.

    South-east Asia:   Vietnamese slaughter of 20 missionaries and 5,000 Christians.  But by 1914, one million Roman         Catholics.  Today, officially 9%

    Korea:  2000 census, 25% of South Korea is Christian.  @ 10 million

    Philippines:  today:  85% Catholic; 8% Protestant; 4% Muslim

    2000 baptisms in Philippines greater than France, Spain, Italy and Poland combined!

    Jenkins estimates a total Christian population of Philippines at 143 million by 2050.