Philippines most corrupt, survey says

By Carlos H. Conde
Published: Tuesday, March 13, 2007

MANILA — Expatriate businessmen in Asia perceive the Philippines as the most corrupt country in the region, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Singapore was ranked as the least corrupt of the 13 economies surveyed, followed by Hong Kong and Japan, according to the annual corruption survey conducted by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, based in Hong Kong.

“The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year,” the survey stated. “People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.”

The survey, conducted in January and February, queried 1,476 expatriate executives in 13 countries and territories in Asia. The Philippines scored 9.40, where a score of zero is the least corrupt and 10 is the most corrupt.

source:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/business/worldbusiness/13iht-peso.4891792.html

Third largest number of Catholics in a country

According to the CIA Factbook, the five countries with the largest number of Catholics are Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, United States and Italy. The country with the largest Catholic percentage of the population is Vatican City, at 100%.

source: CIA Factbook

Draw your own conclusion.

reprint from philstar.com

FROM A DISTANCE

By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star)

Updated February 11, 2012 12:00 AM

The complete aphorism reads: Hating a person is like burning a house to kill a rat. That is what is happening to the Philippines today with President Aquino determined to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona. He hates him because of the SC Hacienda Luisita collegial decision that would finally give the Cojuangco-owned land to the poor farmers who till the land. One would think that as the “elected” leader of this democratic country, he would have welcomed such a move.

For the second Cojuangco-Aquino president, as it was with the first, land reform and uplifting the poor is merely lip service and was never meant to be seriously undertaken.

The sin of SC Chief Justice Renato Corona and the other Macapagal Arroyo appointed justices is their decision to end the charade. They unanimously decided in favor of the farmers, which is as it should be. The decision has social and political implications of epic proportions. It is a breakthrough in our long history of the exploitation of farmer-peasants.

Therefore one can expect ruffled feathers, some form of resistance from oligarchs who are used to having decisions and policies in their favor. By holding the reins of government, they decide the fate and fortune of our country.

We did not expect there would be such a shameless display of the arrogance of power by ignoring laws and dangling all sorts of bribes. It seems the oligarchic government would not even be subtle. It has gone hammer and tongs against the decision by using the bogey of “corruption” because it does not want to give up its political and economic advantages so easily to mere farmers.

It is very much a case of burning the Philippine house to make sure that the Hacienda Luisita decision is not implemented or at least not without an exorbitant price tag (the last time I heard) the demand has now gone up from P5 billion to P10 billion to the Cojuangcos.

If this is not corruption, then what is? It is the worst kind because it is a deliberate assault (some of them have already been killed) on helpless poor citizens by their own government. With the aid of media and politicians, gullible Filipinos are being misled that the Aquino government’s fight against Corona is a fight against corruption. It isn’t and if we were to take time to think, we will recognize that the intent yet again is to protect the status quo and privilege of the wealthy few against the many poor.

Haters, both Filipino and foreign coming out of the woodwork to put down my nation? I could care less.

Were the Police sorely under trained? Yes absolutely. But that’s all you haters can complain about. Under trained and ill-equipped and they still tried their best  to do job. Brave in the face of death, selfless and caring. That is the filipino.

So to you haters out there you can stay out of my country!

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Friars and Filipinos

An abridged translation of
Dr. José Rizal’s
Tagalog Novel, “Noli Me Tangere.”
By
Frank Ernest Gannett.

New York:
The St. James Press.

José Rizal.

Dr. José Rizal, of whose “Noli Me Tangere,” the following story, is an abridgement, is the most striking character to be found in the history of the Philippine Islands. He was not only a great martyr to the cause of liberty, and to the advancement of his fellow men, but he was without doubt the greatest Filipino ever born, and his memory is cherished to-day by his people as we ourselves cherish the memory of Washington.

Rizal was born on June 19th, 1861, in the pueblo of Calamba, in the province of Laguna, on the Island of Luzon. He came of a Tagalog family, which, it is said, acknowledged a slight mixture of Chinese blood, and possessed considerable property. As a child he gave evidence of extraordinary precocity. He is said to have written poetry in his native tongue at eight years of age, produced a successful melodrama at fourteen, and later to have won prizes in literary contests with writers of recognized ability.

After passing through the University of Manila, and receiving much instruction at the hands of the Jesuit fathers, he was sent to Europe to complete his education. He pursued courses of study in Spanish and German universities, and won the degrees of Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy. Besides acquiring a knowledge of seven languages he gained a brilliant reputation for proficiency in the branch of optical surgery. For a time he was the leading assistant in the office of a world-renowned specialist at Vienna.

While in Europe Rizal wrote several books and also [xiv]gave considerable time to sculpture and painting. His artistic ability was great, and some of his productions are now treasured by friends into whose possession they came. Rizal’s best known work is his “Noli Me Tangere,” written in Belgium about 1886 or 1887. This novel, with its vivid picture of life in the Philippines, and its exposure of Spanish misrule and oppression, won for him the bitter hatred of the friars, and inspired the relentless persecution which only ended with the taking of his life.

In 1889 Dr. Rizal returned to the Philippines, but was soon compelled to leave his native land in order to escape forcible banishment. After a short residence in Japan, he went to London, where he published a work on the History of the Philippine Islands. About the same time a sequel to “Noli Me Tangere,” entitled “El Filibusterismo,” was published. The hatred of the priests against him was further inflamed by this production, and the government in Manila was forced by the friars to forbid the circulation of any of his writings. Copies of his novels were burned in the public squares, and it was worth one’s life to be found possessing a copy. Until very recently it has been almost impossible to obtain a copy of Rizal’s works, and it was necessary to go to Europe to secure the one from which the following abridged translation was made.

In 1892 Dr. Rizal was so overcome with a desire to see again his beautiful fatherland that he ventured, in the face of all the dangers that threatened him, to return to Manila. He had scarcely set foot on shore, however, before he was arrested and thrown in prison. The friars demanded his execution on the ground that he carried incendiary leaflets for the purpose of stirring up a rebellion, but subsequent inquiries showed that such leaflets [xv]had been introduced into his baggage at the custom house through the intrigues of the Augustine friars. Despite his indignant protestations of innocence; Rizal was summarily condemned by the Spanish General, Despujols, to banishment at Dapitan in the island of Mindanao. Although the trickery of the friars became known to him, Despujols lacked courage to revoke his order of banishment, for fear that he, too, would incur the hatred of the powerful religious corporations.

After four years of exile Rizal saw plainly that the hostility of the friars would make it impossible for him to live in his native land. In 1896 a plague of yellow fever broke out in the island of Cuba and Rizal volunteered to lend his medical services to the Spanish government. Ramon Blanco, then general-in-chief of the Spanish forces in the Philippines, accepted the generous offer and recalled the young man to Manila that he might sail at once for Cuba. Alarmed by demonstrations of popular affection for Rizal, who represented the aspirations of the Filipino people, the Spanish authorities broke faith with him and imprisoned him in the Fuerza de Santiago. He was arraigned on false charges, given a military trial, and at the dictation of the religious orders was sentenced to be shot as a traitor.

At dawn on December 30th, 1896, he was led to the place of execution on the beautiful Luneta, overlooking the tranquil surface of Manila Bay. Notices of the event had been published throughout the islands and the day on which it was to occur was proclaimed a fiesta. Thousands gathered around the place selected, and so evident was the sympathy of the helpless Filipinos for the man who was to die for their sake that Spain marshalled ten regiments of her soldiers about the spot. The populace must be intimidated. A nation’s hero was about to become a nation’s martyr. [xvi]With face uplifted he glanced at the multitude about him and smiled. They tied his arms behind him and made him face the waters of the bay. In vain he protested and begged that he might die facing his executioners. A squad of his fellow countrymen, who were serving in Spain’s army, were selected for the bloody work. They drew in position to shoot him in the back. The order was given to fire, but only one had the courage to obey. The bullet went straight and the hero fell, but another shot was necessary to despatch his life. His newly wedded wife remained with him to the end. The best hope of the Filipino people was crushed; a light in a dark place was snuffed out.

Rizal was no extremist, no believer in harsh and bloody methods, no revolutionist. He aimed to secure moderate and reasonable reforms, to lessen the oppressive exactions of the friars, to examine into titles of their land, and to make possible the education and uplifting of his people. He loved Spain as he did his own country, and repeatedly used his influence against the rebellious measures proposed by other Filipino leaders. His execution was only one of the numerous outrages which characterized Spain’s reign in the Philippines.

In closing this short sketch of Rizal’s life we can do no better than to quote the estimate of him made by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, professor in the University of Leitmeritz, Austria, who prepared a biographical sketch of Rizal. Dr. Blumentritt said:

“Not only is Rizal the most prominent man of his own people, but the greatest man the Malayan race has produced. His memory will never perish in his fatherland, and future generations of Spaniards will yet learn to utter his name with respect and reverence.”

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Friars and Filipinos, by Jose Rizal

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

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The General Elections in the Philippines is over but the counting and so now the long wait for the winners although some have already taken their oath the one everybody’s waiting for is still up in the air. Some see this election as the dawn of a new day with Arroyo no longer President. All I can say is don’t get your hopes up. Remember Corazon Aquino? So many promises, so few realized. Not to mentioned some serious allegations of corruption. Lest you’ll be fooled, Mrs Aquino’s reign wasn’t all that good. And so with this next Aquino, don’t bet your life on it. By the way, he’s Catholic.

Election’s real winner: Iglesia ni Cristo unity!

But for me the biggest winner is once again the Iglesia ni Cristo. For once again unity was observed by its members. This unity caused some people to worry. As reported by GMA News, some “netizens raised suspicions over the election results shown in several clustered precincts in Rodriguez, Rizal.” To them it was suspicious that voters from certain precincts showed they all voted for Aquino! Upon further investigation, it turned out the precincts were inside housing resettlement of the Iglesia ni Cristo and 99 percent of the voters in those precincts are members. For some rabid anti-INC they say 99% is not unity because it’s not 100%. They exclaimed “there’s the crack”! Little do they know that not all of the people in the settlements are INC as some are converts from other religion and whose spouses or children are not yet members.

And in case there are still people who sneer at the INC unity in voting, know that the intention is not to make winners of candidates but rather to be one in judgment, a teaching of the Lord Jesus.

The Manila Standard continues it report thus:

Among the religious groups, it is only the Iglesia ni Cristo which has proven that it can provide the swing votes in close contests whether for national or local positions.

The INC factor was probably most felt in the senatorial race. Of the 12 candidates endorsed by the INC, 11 are in the Magic 12. Of the winning senatorial candidates, only returning candidate—Sen. Serge Osmeña —was not endorsed by INC. The only INC-endorsed candidate outside the Magic 12 is Rep. Ruffy Biazon who in the latest count is in number 14 and apparently has no chance of making it.

It looks as though the INC vote is the only religious vote that can be counted on in Philippine politics.

Dynasties

Political dynasties are not new in the Philippines but it seems this year there are a lot more of them. Some are old dynasties like the Marcoses and Aquinos, others are new such as the Arroyos and Estradas. If I’m not mistaken, only Irene Marcos did not run and win in this last election. Bongbong and Imee both won not to mention Madam herself, the still lovely and graceful Madam Imelda. Good for them. For all the supposed greed they’re being accused of, they don’t compare to the Arroyos whom Catholics led by Jaime Cardinal Sin unconstitutionaly put into power. By the way, they’re all Catholics.

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Catholics

The Manila Standard newspaper noted that only the Iglesia ni Cristo vote can be called a “religious vote”. The rest failed miserably. Remember the annointing of Villar by Quiboloy? Add to this the “implied” annointing of Villar by the Catholic El Shaddai of Velarde. So, it’s either the supposed numbers are bloated, or the members do not follow the instructions of their leader, or both. And what about Villanueva? He got 1 million votes! That’s all. Had anyone outside his church voted for him? If not and all his followers voted for him then it’s safe  to say there are only 1 million JIL members of voting age.

The dominant Roman Catholic church is even more embarassing! As the Manila Standard reported:

“Six members of the Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy —Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Bishop Joseph Nacua of Ilagan, Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches, Bishop Antonio Palang of San Jose de Mindoro, Bishop Antonio Navarra of Bacolod and retired Bishop Teodoro Bacani—have come out to openly endorse the presidential bid of JC de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran party.

In the latest Comelec count from 88.95 percent of clustered precincts, de los Reyes was ninth of the nine presidential candidates with only 34,833 votes. The five active bishops head dioceses with more than three million votes and all de los Reyes was able to get is a mere fraction of this number. Either the bishops didn’t campaign for de los Reyes or their flock do not heed them at all when it comes to partisan politics.

This is not to say that the Catholic Church did not play a key and crucial role in this election. It did, through the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) which was the Comelec’s citizen arm in the last election.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the PPCRV played a key role in the success of the last election by providing some 500,000 volunteers to help in the voters’ education campaign, render assistance in the actual elections and conduct a count based on the copy of the returns that they are officially entitled to get.”

De los Reyes would be lucky if he gets 100,000 votes! Endorsed and embarrassed by the CBCP. And the Philippines is 80% Catholic. By the way, he’s Catholic too.

So there you go. May 10 elections in a snap.

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So said a rabid anti-INC catholic blogger who goes by the alias losav. That’s his opinion and he’s free to have one. But is it really a myth? Here’s some news report. I’m not even going add my comment on them. You decide.

Aquino maintains huge lead

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:13:00 05/11/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Benigno Aquino III was poised Tuesday to be proclaimed as the next Philippine president after an updated election count showed he was on course for one of the biggest wins in the country’s history.

His nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada, was well behind with 25.4 percent, or 4.48 million fewer votes, according to the commission’s figures.

Iglesia to deliver 5 million votes to Noynoy, Mar

Thursday, 06 May 2010 00:00

BY BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON Reporter

THE Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Wednesday formally endorsed the bid of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and his running mate, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, saying that the church believed this was “the best for our country.”

The INC, which votes as a bloc, could reportedly deliver four to five million votes to its chosen candidates.

Breaking News

‘Walang kapalit,’ says Noynoy of INC support

By Jjun Bana (philstar.com) Updated May 05, 2010 04:20 PM
MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said the support that the Iglesia ni Cristo gave his and Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s candidacies came without anything in return.

“There’s no quid pro quo,” Aquino said when asked whether or not there had been any offer either from the LP or the INC for the latter to throw its support behind the candidacies of the LP presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

During its worship service this morning, the INC said “it [is] for the betterment of the country that [we] are supporting Aquino and Roxas, who are campaigning on a platform of freedom from corruption, the foremost cause of povery and injustice” in the Philippines.

“Ipinapasiya namin na iboto si Noynoy Aquino at Mar Roxas para sa presidente at bise-presidente [We have chosen to vote for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas as our President and Vice-President],” said Ka Eduardo Manalo, INC executive minister in a statement.

At a press conference this afternoon, Aquino read his joint statement of gratitude to INC with Roxas.

Erap ‘saddened’ by INC decision to endorse Noynoy

GMANews.TV – Thursday, May 6

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada said on Wednesday that he was “saddened” by the Iglesia ni Cristo’s decision to endorse the candidacy of Liberal Party presidential bet Senator Benigno Aquino III. Estrada, who received INC’s endorsement when he ran for president in the 1998 national elections, said that not getting the religious group’s backing in the upcoming polls will be “a big loss” for his candidacy.

He added that he was “saddened” by the decision because he has very close friends in the INC.

The former president however said that he respects the INC’s choice, and vowed to work harder during the last days of the campaign.

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Erap won’t concede, waits for official canvass

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/11/2010 4:34 PM | Updated as of 05/11/2010 5:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – Former president Joseph Estrada on Tuesday said he will not concede to presidential frontrunner, Liberal Party presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, until after Congress finishes the official canvass of the results of the country’s first ever nationwide automated elections.

The younger Estrada said his father could have been assured of victory if the powerful Iglesia ni Cristo had endorsed him instead of Aquino. The INC sect is the only religious group in the country that practices bloc voting.

“Had the Iglesia ni Cristo voted in favor of President Estrada, it would have been a good fight,” he said.

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The Philippines is on the verge of a major upheaval. With all the presidential candidates going all in and betting everything including the kitchen sink, it isn’t hard to imagine a strong reaction will not be displayed for any hint of a failure of election. Pray for peace.

INC flock urged to pray for peaceful, honest elections
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:47:00 04/27/2010
Read original here.

MANILA, Philippines—Even the leader of the Iglesia ni Cristo is wary of a failure of elections.

INC executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo sent a pastoral letter to all of its churches nationwide which was read last Saturday and Sunday urging his flock to pray for peaceful and honest elections. The INQUIRER obtained a copy of the letter from its Bel-Air Makati locale.

“We join the nation in aspiring for a clean, honest, and peaceful election and in hoping that there will be no problems so serious as to result in a failure of elections that others might use to instigate public unrest. In view of this, we are instructing you not to get involved in any baseless speculations that could only cause fear and apprehension,” said Manalo, the son of the late Eraño “Ka Erdie” Manalo who transformed this Christian sect into a major force in the elections with the disciplined, bloc-voting of its members.

Manalo and the INC elders are currently holding deliberations until Wednesday on who will be endorsed by the influential religious group.

Manalo has echoed the fears expressed by another religious leader, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, who said he has been getting “blurred visions” of the May 10 elections that could indicate an ominous sign of a failure of elections.

This was the reason why Quiboloy, who claims to have six million followers, has yet to name his “chosen one” in the elections which he was supposed to announce during his lavish birthday celebration on April 25.

A majority of the leading national candidates led by Liberal Party bet Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and civil society organizations have expressed fears that the automated polls was vulnerable to cheating and sabotage by forces that do not want the results of the voting to prevail.

Manalo urged his followers to continue to pray for peaceful and honest elections “from the casting and canvassing of votes to the proclamation of winners so that the nation’s decision will be respected by everyone.”

Since this would be the country’s first automated elections, the INC leadership has felt it necessary to send guidelines and information to its members on how to vote in a computerized system. “May all of us be able to exercise correctly and peacefully our right to vote in accordance with our faith,” said Manalo

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A few malcontents are criticizing the INC “bloc voting” saying it is undemocratic! Talk about being ignorant. Let me set a few things straight based on my own personal take guided by what I’ve learned in my life.

Bloc voting?

It is not “bloc voting” per se. What outsiders think of as “bloc voting” is in truth a body of faithfuls agreeing on one judgement and executing that one judgement. It makes perfect sense based on Christian precepts found in the bible that a “one body” makes one decision and moves only in one direction. That’s all I’m going to say about “bloc voting”.

Democracy, in the Philippines? Really?

- Joseph Estrada won in the 1998 presidential elections by a landslide! It was the second landslide victory of any presidential election in the Philippines, with Magsaysay v Quirino being the first. By one estimate, he won by a margin of 6+ million votes. As most observer say, the INC vote matters more during tight elections where the margin is between 2 to 3 million votes. This means that Estrada had the majority of non-INC votes as well, and would have won even if the INC voted for his opponent. Truly impressive! He clearly had the mandate of the people and a testament to the beauty of democracy.

- In 2001, “Edsa Dos, a well orchestrated scheme to steal the seat of power from the filipino people was put into action by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, elitist business including major media networks, and Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino, of course. Foreign media saw through the smoke screen and reported it for what it was: a coup. Phil Browning of the Internation Herald Tribune called not a victory for democracy, but actually the death of democracy in the Philippines. Some called it a lynching with all its negative connotation. Even Lee Kuan Yew, well respected Prime Minister of Singapore called it for what it was, “unconstitutional”.

- 2008. Cory Aquino, the “inspiration”, “joan  of arc” of all Edsa apologized for her role in the ouster of Mr Estrada and basically invalidated all the reasons they used to force him out of office. All of that down the drain. I wish she apologized to the poor Filipinos who’s dreams and aspiration as well as their trust of the democratic process went down the drain with Estrada at Edsa Dos. Philippine democracy still dead.

And so I return to the title of this piece. The leadership of the INC are totally opposite of those of other religion. If one would observe how the INC go about this necessary evil called election you can’t help but admire them. Unlike other religious leaders who calls a press conference to flaunt their “influence” over candidates, the INC leadership do with the least amount of fanfare. I’m even convinced that if it was up to them the INC leadership would rather not meet with politicians. In fact, Mrs Arroyo was famously snubbed for crashing a meeting.

I pity those of other religios leaders, especially EDSA DOS, for allowing their flock to be used in an illegal and undemocratic ouster of a sitting president only to find out that the one they put in power was a far more corrupt that the one they removed.

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Empty pews: Catholics are fleeing the Church in record numbers - particularly Irish American Catholics

Steady Decline

Parishioners ‘hurting’ over transition to one church

By David Robinson
The Evening Telegram
New! Mon Jan 04, 2010, 10:09 AM EST

St. Johnsville, N.Y. -

St. Patrick’s Church in St. Johnsville and St. Peter’s and Paul’s Church in Canajoharie will both close Feb. 14 and their congregations are being asked to begin worshiping at St. James Church in Fort Plain.
But at least one parishioner said she does not intend to follow the plan, which is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany closure over the last year of 17 percent, or 33 of 109, of its churches.
Grace Archambault, 80, of St. Johnsville, said she is planning to begin attending services at Holy Family Parish in Little Falls. And when she can not make it there, Archambault said she is considering worshipping at St. Paul Lutheran Church in St. Johnsville.
Archambault explained her intentions in a letter to the diocese, citing a mishandling of the closure as part of the motivation for her choice.
“I didn’t desert my church, my church deserted me,” she said in a telephone interview.
The three parishes in October merged financially, forming a single parish named Our Lady of Hope, and began the process of deciding which church would remain open. A pastoral council, consisting of representatives from the three congregations, met to discuss the closures.
But Archambault said the process was insensitive, especially to long-time members of the churches.
“People have spent their whole lives in their churches,” she said, referencing many having been baptized and married under the same roof. “This is like their second home.”
Margaret DiGiacomo, 64, said she has been with St. Patrick’s for all 64 years of life, and the closures have impacted a lot of her friends, family and fellow parishioners. “The people here are really upset over the way this was handled,” she said, “it’s been very discouraging.”

Laity-led church

Tuesday December 29 2009
The slow drip of clerical scandals and its final conclusion with the Murphy report has led me to the inevitable conclusion that the Catholic Church, as we know it, is dead.
This, I feel, is a very good and necessary development.
If Christ the man were to come back today and walk into the Vatican he would immediately turn around and walk the other way. He would have been confronted with big, gaudy buildings with all the pagan trappings of gold and wealth.
He would have sensed power, pomp, inequality and secrecy.
He would have seen his church controlled by an exclusive, elderly gentleman’s club with an 82-year-old as its leader and the total exclusion of half of its members — females.

source:independent.ie

Irish Catholic Cardinal Daly brought Pope to Ireland but utterly failed on pedophiles
By
PATRICK ROBERTS
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, January 2, 2010, 9:26 AM
Updated Saturday, January 2, 2010, 8:28

Cardinal Cahal Daly, who has died aged 92, will also be remembered as the man who oversaw the most rapid decline in the history of the Catholic Church in Ireland because of the pedophile crisis.

Posted 11/7/2004 10:49 PM Updated 11/8/2004 5:28 PM

Church struggles with change
By Cathy Lynn Grossman and Anthony DeBarros, USA TODAY

Today there are fewer parishes and fewer priests than in 1990 and fewer of the nation’s 65 million Catholics in those pews. And there’s no sign of return.”

Nine-Year-Old’s Abortion Outrages Brazil’s Catholic Church
By Andrew Downie / São Paulo Friday, Mar. 06, 2009

Time/CNN

Brazilian devotion to the Catholic Church has declined over the past several years. Whereas Brazil was once an almost entirely Catholic nation, only 74% of Brazilians today admit allegiance to Rome, with large numbers, especially the urban poor, having defected to Protestant Evangelical sects. Many more water down their Catholicism with dashes of African religions such as Candomble or spiritist beliefs such as Kardecism.

December 24, 2009
This Christmas, 78% of Americans Identify as Christian
Over time, fewer Americans identify as Christian; more have no religious identity
by Frank Newport
Gallup.com

The trend results are based on annual averages of Gallup’s religious identity data in America that stretch back over 60 years. One of the most significant trends documented during this period is the substantial increase in the percentage of American adults who don’t identify with any specific religion. In 1948, only 2% of Americans did not identify with a religion. That percentage began to rise in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Eleven years ago, in 1998, 6% of Americans did not identify with a religion, a number that rose to 10% by 2002. This year’s average of 13% of Americans who claim no religious identity is the highest in Gallup records.

The percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic, Protestant, or some other non-Catholic Christian faith has been concomitantly decreasing over the years. This suggests that one of the major patterns of religious transition in America in recent decades has been the shift from identification as Christian to the status of having no specific religious identification.

In 1948, 91% of Americans identified with a Christian faith. Twenty years ago, in 1989, 82% of Americans identified as Christian. Ten years ago, it was 84%. This year, as noted, 78% of all American adults identify with a Christian faith.

There has also been a slight increase in the percentage of Americans who identify with a religion that is not specifically classified as Christian. Sixty years ago, for example, 4% of Americans identified with a non-Christian religion. By 1989, 9% of Americans were in this non-Christian religion category, the same percentage as today.

And there you go. News items in the last 5 years indicating the Catholic Church’s steady decline which by projection will result in the eventual and complete disappearance of the once mighty Roman Church, the same way it’s previous incarnation, the Roman Empire.

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