The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-07
Catholic Church Figures.

For years the name of Joseph Nc
Cabe stood among the highest in
the literature Of the Roman Catholic
church. About ten years ago he
left that church, and since then he
has written several widely-known
books, among them one to be found
in nearly all public Libraries describ-
ing life in monastery. His latest
book, entitled Decline of the Church
of Rome" just published in London,
has excited much comment. In this
book he predicts that the Catholic
church Is to make its last desperate
fight for Ipremacy in this country,
for here, he says, is her sole remain
ing hope.
Mr.. McCabe goes on TO show from
what be claims to be carefully COM
piled statistics, 9hat the Catholic
church has now fewer adherants
than Professionalism, the world over;
that of the 1SO.00O.OOo Catholics in
the world, 120,OOO,I0O are litter
ates; that of the Spanish-American
Catholics, fifty-three millions out of
sixty-fve are illiterate and densely
ignorant; that only about one-fifth
of all the men in Spain are now Ro-
manists, and this one-ifth is the
lowest portion of the population; that
of the thirty-nine million population
OF France, only six millions are Ro-
manists.
Mr.. McCabe notes as preliminary
point that Rome has now far less
than 200, 100000 followers; the Pro-
testant churches have some SOO,-
100000. Instead of showing signs
of increase" he says, The Church
of Rome is rapidly decreasing, and
only a dramatic change of its whole
character can asve it from ruin.
Recent religious statistics assign, on
the average, some 25O,O00,000 out
of the 100000 Christians of the
world to the rule Of the Vatican.
But the author proceeds to argue
that these figures are considerably
exaggerated. AS compared with
its position in the middle of last
century, the Church Of Rome, ac-
cording to him. has lost nearly a
third Of is dominion.
He says "the familiar figure OF
about 25O,Ooo.o00 represents faith
fully enough what the Roman Cath
olic population of our planet ought
to be Greatly 27O,O00,000) If the
Vatican had done no more than
retain its followers of eighty years
ago, and their children, but the fig
ures and facts I have gleaned from
the literature of Europe and Ameri-
ca show that at least S0,000,00C must
be deducted from this total, If 1t IS
to express in any reasonable sense
the actual number of Roman Cath
olics." He quotes M. Sabatier as
saying that there "are only about
100000 sincere Roman Catholics
left in France. North Italy is lost
to the Vatican, and Central Italy is
throwing of it's allegiance.
The Catholic church may be on
the decline In the countries named
by Mr.. McCabe, but it is not in
this country. II she has lost nifty
per cent in numbers in Europe, as
he claims she has. she has gained
two hundred or more per cent in
wealth and political power in this
country in the last two decades. The
religious statistics of the forthcom-
ing census will be very interesting
and will be watched for with in
,erest. We believe that the figures
will show that both the Catholic
and Protestant church in his coun-
try are in a highly prosperous con-
dition. A material decline in either
Of the great religious bodies in this
country would be public calamity.
The more church members We have
the better it will be.