Christianity is growing surprisingly strongly globally
In Germany, Christianity is in crisis. But worldwide, there is an astonishing growth in the number of believers. For the first time, there are more than 2.6 billion Christians in the world. The Catholic Church calls for prayers for persecuted Christians at Christmas and the Pope dares to make a long-awaited liberalization.
While the number of people leaving the church remains high in Germany, a surprising shift towards Christianity is taking place on a global scale. In 2023, the number of Christians worldwide exceeded the 2.6 billion mark for the first time. Christianity is currently growing at an annual rate of 1.18 percent per year, i.e. a good 30 million believers. This means that the Christian community is growing by a calculated 82,000 people every single day. However, the Islamic faith groups are currently growing even faster (1.87 percent). The number of Muslims exceeded the 2 billion mark for the first time this year. The third largest faith group, the Hindus (growth rate plus 1.2 percent), now has 1.09 billion people.
The figures are taken from the "Study of Global Christianity" by religious researchers from Boston. They are consistent with other studies, such as those by the PEW Research Center in Washington and the individual data of the Christian churches. The Catholic Church, for example, reports around 1.38 billion Catholics, with the numbers rising significantly in Africa and America in particular. What is surprising, however, is that the number of Christians is also increasing in countries such as Japan and China; in South Korea, Christianity is now even the largest organized religion.
Most Christians live in Africa
According to the data, however, the Catholic Church is growing significantly slower (0.93 percent) than the free churches. Evangelicals in particular are experiencing a large influx, with an annual increase of 1.79 percent. The number of Buddhists (plus 0.77 percent) is growing at a much slower rate than the Christian communities to 535 million. The Jewish community is also only growing by 0.7 percent (to 15 million people), which is much slower than the global population (growth of 1.18 percent). While Christians currently make up a third of the world's population, the proportion of Jews is only 0.2 percent.
The growth of Christianity is strongest in the southern hemisphere. One hundred years ago, there were twice as many Christians living in Europe as in the rest of the world combined. Today, more Christians live in Latin America (611 million) and Africa (718 million) than in Europe (566 million), while Asia has more than 400 million Christians for the first time.
"The martyrs are alive now, in many countries"
At the same time, however, the persecution of Christians is also growing worldwide. Particularly in the Arab world, but also in India and North Korea, Christians are being massively threatened for their faith, in some cases brutally persecuted and threatened with death. The German bishops are therefore calling for prayers for persecuted and oppressed Christians on the second day of Christmas on December 26. With the day of prayer - symbolically placed on the day of remembrance of St. Stephen, who is considered the first martyr of Christianity - the Church is also committing itself to the religious freedom of all people, the Bishops' Conference (DBK) announced in Bonn on Monday. The day makes it clear: "The crib and the cross are carved from the same wood," said Bishop Bertram Meier, Chairman of the Commission for the Universal Church. Pope Francis is quoted as saying: "It is not necessary to go to the catacombs or the Colosseum to find the martyrs: The martyrs are alive now, in numerous countries."
Pope Francis also used his 87th birthday on Sunday to call for peace in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. During the Angelus prayer, Francis condemned the shooting of two women in the Catholic parish of Gaza by Israeli soldiers. During the midday prayer, he named the two Palestinian women shot by snipers and spoke of "very grave and painful news" in view of the shelling of the parish buildings in Gaza City and the damage to the Mother Teresa Sisters' branch there. The Pope emphasized that "there are no terrorists on the parish grounds, but families, children, the sick, the disabled and women religious". The Pope asked the small Christian community in the Gaza Strip to "protect the children who are paying the real bill for the war". The parish is home to severely disabled children who are cared for by the Mother Teresa Sisters.
On Monday, the Pope then released a statement paving the way for the blessing of same-sex and remarried couples. The approval of blessings for same-sex couples was a key demand for the German church reform process "Synodal Way" and was approved by the Synodal Assembly in March. Among German Catholics, the Vatican's decision is widely welcomed as an overdue liberalization, sometimes even as a "Christmas miracle".
At the same time, Pope Francis explained that he does not want to be buried in the Vatican after his death - as is customary. Instead, he wants to be laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. "As I always promised the Virgin," he said. "I used to go there on Sunday mornings when I was in Rome... There is a very strong connection." The place for his burial has already been prepared, he said.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
The German Bishops' Conference, in response to the persecution of Christians worldwide, has called for prayers for persecuted and oppressed Christians on the second day of Christmas. This day of prayer, symbolically placed on the day of remembrance of St. Stephen, underscores the Catholic Church's commitment to religious freedom for all people (German Bishops' Conference).
Despite the ongoing crisis in Christianity in Germany, Pope Francis has dared to make a long-awaited liberalization, paving the way for the blessing of same-sex and remarried couples within the Catholic Church (Pope Francis).
Source: www.ntv.de
