At the end of August 2016, there were 591,000 Catholics out of a
population of 7,346,700 inhabitants in Hong Kong.
The Catholic figure is
contained in the new Yearbook of the Church of Hong Kong, published
recently, while for the people we refer to the data of state
authorities.
According to the Hong Kong Catholic Church Directory, also posted on the
website of the diocesan weekly Kong Kao Po, out of the 591,000
Catholics in Hong Kong, 389,000 are local, that is residents in Hong
Kong (an increase of 5,000 units compared to the previous year), while
the other 202,000 are immigrants, and among these Filipinos are the most
numerous (166,000).
In the past six years there has been an average of about 6,000 baptized a
year: last year there were 6,633 baptisms. In addition 1,100 couples
celebrated the sacrament of marriage.
According to the Yearbook, sent to Fides, in Hong Kong there are 98
churches, of which 52 are parishes.
Moreover, 2 Cardinals, a Coadjutor,
an Auxiliary, 288 priests (68 diocesan and 220 religious from 18
congregations), 469 religious (27 congregations), 58 religious brothers,
25 permanent deacons, 1,558 catechists, 24 seminarians, 28 novices (13
religious men and 15 religious women), 10,464 catechumens reside in Hong
Kong.
The diocese of Hong Kong gives its living testimony of faith through a
varied social commitment, especially in health care (with 19 hospitals
and specialized clinics, 26 rehabilitation centers), in the field of
education (249 Catholic institutes with 150,640 pupils, of whom 16,615
Catholic students) and charitable service, through the centers for the
elderly (14) and for the assistance of families (42).