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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH has highest number of Catholic baptisms in 2020, says nuncio

PH has highest number of Catholic baptisms in 2020, says nuncio

Published Apr 18, 2022 04:29 pm

The Philippines has the highest number of Catholic baptisms in 2020.

Pope Francis and Archbishop Charles John Brown in the Vatican in December, 2018. (VATICAN MEDIA FILE PHOTO)

Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown revealed this on Sunday, April 17.

"I am glad to share that the Philippines has the highest number of baptisms in 2020 compared to other places in the world,” CBCP News quoted Brown.

He said it’s “a living testament of faith in the 500 years of Catholicism in the country." Citing the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila, Veritas reported that the Philippines had 1.6 million newly baptized Catholics in 2020 followed by Mexico with 1.53 million baptisms, and Brazil with 1.12 million. In 2019, the Philippines also topped the list of Catholic baptisms around the world.

The figures for 2020 — the most recent year where numbers are available — come from the 2020 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (Statistical Yearbook of the Church).

The yearbook also gives detailed figures on the Church’s workforce, sacramental life, dioceses, and parishes.

Overall, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.36 billion, an increase of 16 million over the previous year.

While Catholics continued to account for 17.7 percent of the world population, their numbers grew in Africa by about 2.1 percent and in Asia by 1.8 percent. In Europe, the increase was just 0.3 percent.

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