Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
— Matthew 28:19-20
Recorded in Matthew 10, Mark 6 and Luke 9, Jesus commissioned the twelve apostles by granting them authority and giving them specific instructions on where to go, what to preach and how to travel. But their mission was to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them to be faithful to the Christian church.
And Catholic tradition and history tells us that Saint Peter (originally named Simon) is recognized as the first pope and the first Bishop of Rome. Catholics point to Matthew 16:18-19, where Jesus tells Peter, “On this rock I will build my church,” and gives him the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Thereafter and on Peter’s death, Pope Linus succeeded as the second Bishop of Rome and pope, serving from around 67 AD to 76 AD. In the Bible, Linus is simply noted as a Christian believer and companion who was with Paul during his final Roman imprisonment.
Currently and after 2,000 years from the birth of Jesus, Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost) is tmrecognized as the 267th Bishop of Rome and supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church.
Twenty centuries have passed and from humble beginnings steeped in extreme prosecution during its early year, Christianity has grown to be the world’s largest religion in the world with approximately 2.3 to 2.4 billion followers—roughly 28 to 31 percent of the global population.
Actually and based on the 2026 Church Statistics report released by the Vatican’s Fides news agency, Catholics increased globally with the number of priests edging upward and the number of the faithful rising on every continent.
The report recorded that the number of Catholics worldwide rose by 16.69 million to 1.422 billion. The number of priests also increased slightly, while the totals for women religious and major seminarians continued to fall.
Growth across the continents accounted for 17.8 percent of a global population of almost 8 billion. Their numbers increased on every continent, led by Africa with 7.58 million more Catholics and the Americas with 6.99 million more. Asia gained 968,000, Europe 911,000, and Oceania 239,000.
The Americas remained home to the largest number of Catholics at 678.87 million. Africa with 288.31 million, counted slightly more Catholics than Europe’s 287.24 million. Asia had 156.17 million and Oceania 11.56 million.
The number of priests also rose slightly while that of seminarians showed a decline: “For the first time in five years, there is an increase in the total number of priests in the world,” the Fides dossier noted.
The total reached 407,421, up 425 from the previous year. Growth in Africa (+1,676), Asia (+1,065), and the Americas (+199) outweighed declines in Europe (-2,483) and Oceania (-32).
Diocesan priests numbered 279,238, an increase of 496 while religious priests fell by 71 to 128,183.
The average number of Catholics per priest nevertheless rose by 38 to 3,491. The dossier also recorded 5,525 Bishops, up by 95, and 52,102 permanent deacons, up by 669.
Women religious declined by 9,292 to 580,131. Africa was the only continent to register an increase in religious sisters, gaining 2,190, while Europe recorded the largest decline, of 6,473.
The number of major seminarians fell by 2,891 to 103,604. Only Africa saw growth with 786 more seminarians; Asia registered the sharpest fall, of 2,733. Minor seminarians numbered 94,041, down 980.
Lay missionaries increased by 18,473 to 463,079, while catechists rose by 22,370 to 2,889,336. The largest gains among lay missionaries were in the Americas; catechist numbers grew most in the Americas and Asia.
The Church also runs 75,448 kindergartens, 103,666 primary schools, and 51,810 secondary schools. Its healthcare and charitable network comprises 101,110 facilities, including 5,397 hospitals and 13,646 dispensaries.
Africa has the largest number of both hospitals and dispensaries in the dossier’s continental figures.
Reviewing all these data, we see how far the Church has grown despite the numerous issues and concerns that have cropped up in recent times that include sexual abuse by men of the cloth and even corruption.
Worthy to note, growth has outpaced the negativity and the Church through the pope continues to fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ entrusted to it by the Lord Jesus after His death and resurrection.
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