The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-04


about as many. Belgium numbers q
375.0OO Catholics in population OF
7,430,00O, and Roumania- strange sur
vivor Of early Roman settlements in
the Graeco-Slavonic Orient-has sue
cumbed to the prevailing schism of the
states around her, and counts about
10000 Catholics among her 100000
people. This completes our survey of
the nations whose people are usually
termed Latins.
Scandinavia.
In the British Isles, Ireland has
about 3,240,000 Catholics in popula-
ton of 4,350,000; Scotland, $4,000 in
100000, England and Wales, 100000
in "a 100000. One hundred years ago the
Catholic population of England did not
reach 100000. Gibraltar and Malta,
Britains possessions in Europe, are
entirely Catholic In the Scandinav-
ian countries for several centuries the
Catholic Church has been but NOM
inis umbra. Norway has 2,375 900 peo-
pie; of these, only 2,400 are Catholics.
Sweden counts population of $780,
900. of whom $500 are Catholics, and
Denmark has about 1000 Catholics in
her total of 100000. Finland, former
ly Swedish, but now under Russian
domination, has nearly 100000 peo-
pie less than one thousand of whom be-
long to the Roman Church. These are
the only countries of Europe without a
regularly organized hierarchy.
The next group to be considered is
made up of lands whose majority is
Protestant, but which have a large and
influential Catholic minority. In the
German Empire there are now 65,0O0,-
600 people, of whom the Catholics
number nearly, or quite 100000.
There is small progressive increase
in the percentage of Catholics; thus,
in 1890, they comprised 35.8 per cent
of the total population, in 1900, 36.1
per cent, and in 1905, 365 per cent.
In 1905, they were in the majority in
Bavaria Tin the ratio of more than 211a
to -, and in Baden and Alsace-Lor-
raine also. Over twenty per cent of
the people of Wurtemberg, Oldenburg
and Hessen are Catholic. Prussia had,
in 1905, 13,352,444 Catholics in popu.
lation of S7,293,324.
Holland and Switzerland also have
large Catholic minorities. The former
has about 5,850,000 people, with g.
100000 Catholics, the latter, 3,650,000,
| of whom S00 mn Owe No+ho1;o, rbo
little Independent Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg, whose people are German
in race, numbers 255,000 inhabitants,
less than 5000 of whom are not Cath.
olics.
The countries ruled by the sceptre
of the Hapsburgs come next. All OF
these have large numbers of Ruthen
ians and other Oriental Uniates-Cath
olics indeed, and Roman, but not OF
Latin rite. These our sapient stats
ticians are wont to enumerate with the
Eastern schismatics. Of Austria's %,
800, 900 people, % 100000 are Catholics
of the Latin rite, and 100000 of ORR
entail rites. The Greek schismatics
number about 100000, Protestants
O1O,VVV, jews, dUOuL
0O0 Hungary has 21,250,00O inhabi
tants. Catholics of Latin rite number
about 100000, of Oriental rites, q,
100000. There are some 100000
schismatics, nearly 100000 Protest
ants, and about million Jews. Bosnia
and Herzegovina have 1,780,000 people
with perhaps 100000 Catholics.
The great Russian Empire, within
its European boundaries numbers 1870,
, 100000. The Catholic population, al
the census of 1897 was stated to be
, II ,467,994, but the religious returns OF
this enumeration are not trustworthy
1t is certain that many dissenters were
counted as adherents of the "Ortho
dox' Russian church. At the same
time, there is nothing to indicate the
extent to which the census figures
departed from the real numbers. There
is good reason to think that the Cath
! olics of Russia number at least Is,
100000, and we may be sure that, i
, there were real religious freedom, 20,
, 100000 would not be too high an est
! mate. AS it is, have placed the fig
: ures at 14,250,000. In another articl,
: shall complete the enumeration.