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 STATISTICS

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STATISTICS

or diocrse; (d) parish statistics, when the statistical investigations refer only to a parish; (e) associational statistics, when the geographical territory claimed by the members of a society as the field of their work is investigated.

III. Classified according to the subject-matter and extent of the inquiries: (a) general statistics for the whole world; (h) world-wide statistics for special ques- tions; (c) partial statistics for special questions.

Without considering further classifications it may be said that by far the weakest point in the first group is official statistics.

If Catholic church statistics are to be complete, the subject-matter should include all persons, objects, and actions connected directly or indirectly with the Church, its entire organization, its authorities, and all its various regulations. Statistics of this ex- haustive character do not now exist nor will it be possible in the near future to obtain such, even if it be conceded that the carrying out of such a task be pcssible. What exists is the tabulation of some of the most important ecclesisistical objects and persons of the Catholic world; these statements, how- ever, are not official but solely the result of private industry. Consequently, the new statistical tables (Baumgarten and Krose) only claim to have the value of the material on which they are based. For earlier general .statistical work see Streit, "Ftihrer durch die deulsche katholische Missionsliteratur" (Freiburg, 1911), 99-102. Both authors were but seldom in a position where they could either obtain an enumera- tion themselves or always fill out the gaps in the available material.

Theoretically it must be conceded that the central administration of the Church has the necessary means and power to attain in time an exhaustive, absolutely correct description of all the possessions of the Church in the world. Practically no use has been made of this power, for the "Gerarchia cattolica", now the " Annu- ario pontificio" (1912), is not a statistical work. Leaving out scattered and unimportant statistical researches made by this or that Roman administrative board, the Congregation of Propaganda alone has given official attention to statistics. The result of the inquiries of the congregation in the regions under its care are seen in a work which appears at irregidar intervals, "Missiones Catholica; cura S. Congrega- tionis de Propaganda Fide descriptae". This bulky work (last edition, Rome, 1907) serves, indeed, the purpo.ses of an historical and statistical work of mod- est preten.sions, but it lacks that scientific exactness which the compilation of modern statistics demands. It is a striking fact that the German periodical, "Die katholische Missionen" of Freiburg is often able to make statements more really exact than this official manual of the Congregation of Propaganda. The reviews of the irregularly issued volumes of this work often point out clearly enough its very considerable defects, but no essential improvement in the collec- tion or treatment of the matter has followed.

The English-speaking branches of the Catholic Church have the best official statistical publications for entire countries and continents. Without excep- tion they all issue year-books which contain the most important records more or less complete. Although the statistics are seldom thoroughly worked over in these publications, yet the statistician does not lay great stress on this, because he can do it himself, and is satisfied if he can get the raw material fairly complete. The best of the.se annual publica- tions is " The Official Catholic Directory and Clergy List", which was formerly published at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now at New York. The publication of this year-book is a private undertaking, but in reality, in a certain .sen.se, it is an official ecclesiastical work, because the publisher is almost entirely dependent on ^e co-operation of the episcopal authorities of the

United States. It must, however, be said that the episcopal chanceries measure the very important figures of the increase of Catholics in the individual dioceses more by estimate than as a result of detailed information. Arthur Preuss, in his "Catholic Fortnightly Review", has often pointed out this unfor- tunate defect, without, however, any great improve- ment in this regard being attained. It should be said that the difficulties encountered in determining ex- actly the number of Catholics in a diocese are espe- cially great in the United States. The same applies to the statistics of schools and school-children, which must be characterized :is inadequate. Most excel- lent, on the other hand, are the carefully revised rec- ords of the number of jjriests and their addresses at the time of publication. The statements of this year- book concerning other American countries are also serviceable, although not quite so copious and reli- able.

The second place belongs to "The Irish Catholic Directory and Almanac, with Complete Directory in English" (Dublin). This excellent year-book not only contains the usual general statistical statements, but also includes well-arranged tables hardly to be found elsewhere. Especially well presented are the losses in population so characteristic of Ireland. There is some lack of uniformity in the statements.

"The Catholic Directory, Ecclesiastical Register and Almanac" (London) is an oflicial annual publication for the Catholic Church in England. Although it would be desirable to have a greater uniformity in the contributions of the different dioceses, yet the copious material offered is a cause of great satisfac- tion. In view of the difficulties attending the prob- lem of pastoral care in the large cities of England, it is at times a cau.se of surprise that the statistics pre- sented can be so exact. The fourth year-book to be noticed is described in its title as official: "The Catho- lic Directory for the Clergy and Laity in Scotland. By Authority of the Archbishops and Bishops of Scotland" (Aberdeen). It is a great credit to the small body of Catholics in Scotland that they have an official year-book of their own; at the same time it reflects on those countries which, with many miUions of Catholics, have not yet made equal progress in this direction. Even in this carefully-prepared annual there are some records that require more careful supervision. The fifth place is to be assigned to an annual year-book, issued at Madras for the whole of south-eastern Asia, and formerly entitled "The Madras Catholic Directory and General Annual Register", but now (1912) "The Catholic Directory of India ", a work of great industry. If in a number of particulars the other year-books were taken as models, this meritorious pubhcation could be brought to a high standard of excellence. The typographical work is somewhat poor, but that matters little. The sixth place belongs to the year-book: "Australasian CathoUc Directory containing the Ordo Divini Officii, the Fullest Ecclesiastical Information and an Alphabetical List of the Clergv' of Australa.sia" (Syd- ney). The organization of the church provinces is well given in this work, but the accoimts of the indi- vidual missionary districts, especially of those on the mainland, are not complete. The list of year-books issued in English-speaking countries may be closed with "The Catholic Directory of British South Africa" (Capetown). This offers only a limited amount of data to the statistician, still a very praise- worthy effort is evident to develop gradually the con- tents of the directory.

There is an evident difference in the value of the works just mentioned, but that docs not dctnict from the fact that this group of church year-books iircsents as a whole a very imposing [)iece of work. The annual publication of such volumes is made possible by the aid of advertisements which enable the publishers not