"The data in this year show, among others, 2 trends in the transformation of the Church in Poland. The first trend, confirmed by statistic from the year 2024, is the decline in the ranks of the organization Church, i.e. the number of priests, monks and nuns. Between 2018 and 2024 the number of priests incarcinated decreased by 6.4 percent and pastoral ministers in parishes by 11.7 percent. In turn, the number of diocesan alumns in comparison to the last year decreased by 5.3 percent, but since 2018 already by over 50%. At that time (since 2018), the number of sisters in active assemblies decreased by more than 2,000. At the same time, there is besides a growth trend: the number of permanent deacons is increasing – in 2022 there were 99 of them, and in 2024 – 109" – describes its latest study by the Institute of statistic of the Catholic Church. Who goes to church? This is data for the year 2024, collected, among others, during the alleged yearly number of the faithful. specified reports indicate that less and less people feel the calling to service God, that they are falling for Sunday Mass. However, the latest edition of the paper does not carry specified pessimistic diagnosis. Church analysts note that statistic on spiritual practices are stabilizing. The dominicantes index (present at Masses) was 29.6% and the communicantes index (accepting communion) was 14,6 percent. Compared to 2023, the dominicantes index increased by 0.57% and the communicates increase by 0.64%“It is clear that this trend is recorded in almost all dioceses. It can be noted, therefore, that the decline in practices caused by epidemic restrictions has stopped (before the COVID-19 pandemic, the dominicantes rate was 36.9 percent and communicantes – 16.7 percent)" - the summary concludes. On the plus side, data on the increase in the number of Catholics who receive Holy Communion at Sunday Mass are besides read. This is what all another individual in the church does, while in 2015 it was 43 percent.More believers in the EastIt is no secret that Poles “believe differently” depending on the region. "The highest dominicantes rate was recorded in Tarnowska (62.3%), Rzeszowska (52.4%) and Przemysl (50.0%) dioceses. The highest ratio of communicates was recorded in the dioceses of Tarnowska (26.2%), Zamojsko-lubaczowska (21.8%) and Białystok (21.2%)," the Church says. At the second pole are the western regions of Poland. The inheritance in the sacramentsOn baptism, in 2024 this sacrament adopted 247.2 1000 people (by 7.5 p. percent little than in the erstwhile year). Almost 320 1000 people joined the first Holy Communion (a decline of 1.5 p.m.). The Sacrament of Confirmation welcomed nearly 213 1000 people (a decrease of 27.6 p.m.). The Sacrament of matrimony was given to 68.3 1000 couples (a fall of 11.6 p.s.). "Numbers of sacraments illustrate the demographic trend and cultural change of Polish society – changes in values. Demographic and cultural changes are noticeable at the sacramental level. The decline in the number of baptisms and vows is linked to demographic changes (decreased births), while the decrease in the number of sacramental marriages is the consequence of cultural changes," explains church statisticians. As in the full worldI add that Poland in many respects is not an exception, but alternatively fits into global trends. "Since 1970, the number of priests in the planet has decreased by more than 12,000 (from almost 420,000 to nearly 408,000), but the number of diocesan priests has increased by nearly 8,000 (to 279,2 thousand) and spiritual priests has decreased by nearly 20 thousand. In a given period, the number of nuns decreased importantly – by 400,000, from over 1 million to almost 600,000, as well as the number of spiritual brothers by 30,000 – from 79 1000 to 49 thousand. "There are presently little than 49,5 1000 permanent deacons in the world, erstwhile there were only 309. While the number of Catholics in the planet has increased from over 650 million to 1405 million in the last 50 years, the percent of Catholics in the global population is comparatively constant and is around 18%," the Church says.
