A new survey of denominational
loyalty reports that churchgoing
Catholics are significantly less
likely than churchgoing
Protestants to change
denomination.
Six out ten active Catholics
would only consider attending a
Catholic church, by contrast, only 16 percent of Protestant churchgoers
will only consider attending a church of their present denomination.
Benedict XVI is underscoring the importance of his apostolic trips in
2008—to the United States, France and Australia. He said the apostolic
journeys were about the “presence of the word of God, of God himself
in the current moment of history, the purpose of these trips can only
be to serve this presence of God.”
Benedict XVI is inviting Christians to “be not afraid,” despite
economic shadows hanging over 2009.He said this year closes with the awareness of a growing
economic and social crisis that
already concerns the entire world, though not a few shadows are appearing on the horizon of our future,
we should not be afraid.