The Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches comprise the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. In 2005, there were an estimated 19 million baptised Catholics in Nigeria.[5] In 2010 the Catholic population accounted for approximately 12.6% of the population,[6] 70% of which can be found in Southeast Nigeria.[citation needed]
Nigeria, together with Congo Democratic Republic, boasts of the highest number of priests in Africa. The boom in vocation to the priesthood in Nigeria is mainly in the Southeastern part, especially among the Igbo ethnic group, of which the first evangelizers were Holy Ghost Fathers.[7]
The second papal visit to the country in 1998 witnessed the beatification of BlessedCyprian Michael Iwene Tansi.[8]Pope John Paul II proclaimed him blessed at Oba, Onitsha Archdiocese, a local Church established by the apostle of eastern Nigerian, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp.
The official patron saints of Nigeria are Mary, Queen of Nigeria, and Patrick of Ireland.[9]
Map of Nigeria
Demographics
Christianity was followed by an estimated 46.18% of the Nigerian population in 2020; one-quarter of Christians in Nigeria are Catholic (12.39% of the country's population).[10]
In the same year, over 9,500 priests and 6,500 nuns served over 4,000 parishes.[11]
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