The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-11-10
MULHALL's STATISTICS.
Some Figures Which illustrate Cath
Olic Progress,

Olic Progress.
During the Australasian Catholic
Congress one of the most important
papers read was one specially con-
tributed by the well-known statistican
Mr.. NJ. G. Mulhail OF the 1,45O mil
lions making up the population of the
world. Mr.. Mulhall. basing his figures
on the returns of 1893, computes that
only sol 100000 are Christians, the
proportion to each faith being as fol-
lows: Catholics, 24O.00O.O0o; Protest
ants, 163,3000OO; Greeks, 9S.3OO,OOO.
Under the head OF Professionals are in
cluded more than 100 different. sects
who profess ole or other form Of Chris
tianity. Assuming all classes of Prot
estants to form one religion, their to-
tai, number in relation to that of Ro-
man Catholics would be as two to
three. 1T would be interesting"
writes Mr.. Mu]hall. ito ascertain
which phase of Observation-Disclosures
I or Observation-Disclosures numerically
the faster. There can be no doubt that
the principal Protestant nations, such
as Great Britain. Germany and the
United States. are advancing with
great strides. whereas such Catholic
countries as France, Ireland. Spain
and Portugal have little or 10 increase
yearly. But when we come to make Il
survey of the whole of Christendom
we find that the numbers are pretty
equal According to official returns
for five years, ending December. 1893,
the annual increase, If nobody changed
from the religion of his parents. would
be as follows: Catholics. 1850 $50;
protcstants, 2,3SO.O 900. at is. however.
notorious" says Mr.. AIulball. that
numbers of Protestants in England
; and the United States pass over year
ly to the Roman Catholic Church.
. whereas Professionalism gains few coli
verts. This fact is attributed to tNo
causes: First, the life of self-denial
and sacrifice led by Catholic mission
aries; secondly, the attraction that
Catholic worship offers by it's ritual
and ceremonies. According TO the re-
turns of the American Statistical So
ciety, in 1888 i'll the missionary coun-
tries Nndia, China. Siberia. Japan.
Syria Asia, Africa. Philippines, Java)
Catholics We're to protpstants almost
five to one, the figures being: Cath
olcs. 11,45S.000: Protestants. 2,622,OO0.
: The following figures are given as IL
Illustrating the progress of the Catholic
Church in English-speaking countries
) during the present century: Bishops,
232; priests, q, 100: churches, 17,DOO;
souls, 21,050,000 In the United King
dom there are 4.G00 Catholic churches
: almost all built in the 10Th century.
: representing an outlay Of at least 2J
millions sterling. s'rhe progress of
Catholicity in Great Britain is chiefly
among the educated classes Since the
Tractarian movement in 1850 the per-
sons who have gone over to the Church
of Rome include AS graduates of Ok
ford, 213 Of Cambridge and 63 of other
universities, besides 81 peers, pa mill
tary officers. 1872 authors, 139 lawyers,
and 90 physicians. Among the grad,l-
ates were 44G clergymen of the estab-
lished Church" In England and Wales.
however, only 4 per cent of the popula-
ton is Roman Catholic. as compared
with per cent in Scotland, 7S per
cent In Ireland, 40 per cent in Canada.
IA per cent in the United States. and
% per cent in Australia. In America.
between 1850 and 1890, the relative
progress of the Catholic religion was
about double that Of other creets. the
churches having multiplied seven-fold,
and church property thirteen-fold. AS
regards Canada and Australia, the cen
sus of 1891 gave the following returns
as to religion:-Canada: Roman Cath
olics, 1.990.0O0; Anglicans. 645,OOO
Methodists. $4,000: Presbyterians
775,000, Baptists, etc. 100000. Aus
tralia: Roman Catholics. sol 900: An
:, glicans, 1,4S5,000; Methadists 434 OC0;
Preshyterians, $4,000; Baptists, 507.-
600. Thus Catholics held the first
place in Canada. the second in Austria
i lia Summing up the statistics of the
Catholic Church, we find 1900 priests
2lo,o0o.0oo odd of laity;. while the pre-
lates acknowledging the authority of
his Holiness Leo NH. include 1sl
Mchhishops, III Bishops of Dioceses,
and sG2 Bishops in partibus or Wears
Apostolic: in all. 1,2G3, of whom 1.1s7
belong to the Latin rite, sc to Greek
! or Armenian