Both Catholic Weeklies featured articles on the results of the "Korean Catholic Church Statistics 2022"which show that the aftereffects of COVID-19 on believers' spiritual lives are still present.
According to the statistics, the pandemic has significantly decreased the vitality of spiritual life in general. The attendance rate for Sunday Mass, the most critical indicator of spiritual life, remained at 11.8% in 2022. This represents a slight increase from the previous year, but it is 6.5% lower than in 2019 (18.3%). This means that only one in ten believers attend Sunday Mass regularly. Similarly, compared to 2019 the sacraments have lost their vitality, with the baptism rate at 64%, the anointing of the sick at 74%, the confession rate at 65%, and the receiving of the Holy Eucharist at 69% compared to pre-pandemic.
According to the statistics as of December 31, 2022, the number of believers in 16 dioceses nationwide is 5,949,862. Compared to last year, there were 11,817 people, an increase of 0.2% as a percentage. As of the same time, the ratio of believers to the total population of 52,628,623 in Korea was 11.3%, a slight increase from 11.26% in 2021. Compared to 2021, the total population decreased by 104,077, but the number of Catholics increased by 11,817. Compared to the number of 5,914,669 believers in 2019, before Corona 19, it can be seen that the number is increasing little by little every year.
By gender, 42.9% (2,551,589 people) were male and 57.1% (3,398,273 people) female, the same rate as last year. The proportion of believers aged 65 or older accounted for 26.4%, clearly showing the aging phenomenon of Korean churches. Of the total believers, 3,326,925, or 55.9%, were from parishes in the metropolitan area (Seoul, Incheon, Suwon, Uijeongbu).
The number of parishes (administrative districts where priests reside) increased by 5 from last year to 1784,
The number of priests increased slightly, but the number of religious and overseas missionaries decreased. The number of clergy in Korean churches stood at 5,703, up 77 from the previous year. There are 2 cardinals, 40 bishops, and 5661 priests (5515 Koreans and 146 foreigners). In 2022, 96 parish priests were ordained priests, an increase of 3 from 2021.
The number of religious is 11,576, with 1,602 men in 48 religious orders and 9,974 women in 125 religious orders. 214 fewer than in 2021. 39 men and 188 women, a total of 227 trainees who put on a habit and prepare for religious vows for the first time, a decrease of 8 men and 56 women compared to the previous year.
The number of foreign missionaries also decreased. The total number of overseas missionaries was 1007, including 244 priests, 55 religious, 700 nuns, and 8 laymen, a decrease of 108 from the previous year.
Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea are based on the state of 16 dioceses, 7 Catholic University theological colleges, 173 male and female religious congregations, missionary and secular societies. Since the number and age of believers are based on baptistry and church register, it is different from the national "population and housing census" done every ten years. This is more reliable on determining the numbers of Catholics still the individuals are asked and it is not a referral to the records of the parishes. The last government census was in 2015.
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