U.S. Roman Catholics now form 24% of the population, compared to 19% a decade ago. According to the Official Catholic Directory for 1961, published last week, baptized Catholics number 42,104,89913,470,021 more than in 1951.
Although the increase makes Catholicism the fastest-growing religion in the land, with a growth rate of 47% over the decade,* the directory reflects some trends that worry the church. Among them:
¶ More and more mixed marriages, reflected by a drop of 511 weddings in the church compared to the year before.
¶ A decrease of 14,571 in the number of conversions, to 136,953.
¶ A drop...
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