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The 2011 Pontifical Yearbook was presented this morning to Benedict XVI by the offices of the Secretariat of State. The statistics, referring to 2009, reveal 1.18 billion faithful baptized in the world today, an increase of 15 million compared to 2008. The number of priests, both diocesan and religious, has also increased over the last ten years, rising to 410,593. However, the number of professed religious has fallen, now counting 729,371. The crisis remains therefore, in spite of Africa and Asia, where there is growth. The number of candidates to the priesthood in the world rose to 117,978 in 2009. Much of the increase is attributable to Asia and Africa. Europe and America registered a decline.

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