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Last update - 21:55 30/03/2008
Vatican: Islam surpasses Roman Catholicism as world's largest religion
By The Associated Press
Tags: Vatican, Islam, religions

Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday.

"For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have
overtaken us," Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the
V
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atican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Formenti compiles the Vatican's yearbook.

He said that Catholics accounted for 17.4 percent of the world population - a stable percentage - while Muslims were at 19.2 percent.

"It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to make a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer," the monsignor said.

Formenti said that the data refer to 2006. The figures on Muslims had been put together by Muslim countries and then provided to the United Nations, he said, adding that the Vatican could only vouch for its own data.

"When considering all Christians and not just Catholics, Christians make up 33 percent of the world population," Formenti said.

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      1.   "Muslims were at 19.2 percent.Christians make up 33 percent" 22:01  |  PETER SM 30/03/08
      2.   1. PETER SM 22:27  |  KUTW 30/03/08
      3.   The secret? kill millions, convert by force other millions... 22:41  |  Alain 30/03/08
      4.   If Christians Can`t agree with them selfes 22:48  |  Adams 30/03/08
      5.   @Adams: Take reading lessons! 23:00  |  Counter 30/03/08
      6.   Let it be remembered... 00:01  |  Maureen Ann 31/03/08
      7.   Alain - Muslims are NOT united 00:09  |  American Catholic 31/03/08
      8.   Formenti`s failure 00:11  |  Webster 31/03/08
      9.   Face the facts. 1/3 of the worlds population. 00:12  |  Hussein 31/03/08
      10.   3.Another secret 00:12  |  KUTW 31/03/08
      11.   Chrisian atheists. 00:22  |  Atoo 31/03/08
      12.   moslems are not united 00:48  |  Gregor 31/03/08
      13.   Christianity has a 600 year headstart on Islam 00:51  |  just facts 31/03/08
      14.   They have the same Agenda 01:29  |  Brod 31/03/08
      15.   I fear the day when... 01:47  |  Yered Shmuel 31/03/08
      16.   # 7 brod 01:56  |  Axel 31/03/08
      17.   Axel#15 02:14  |  HS 31/03/08
      18.   Islaam is the fastest growing Religion.A fact. 02:14  |  Zayd 31/03/08
      19.   # 8 yered: I am surprised 02:18  |  Axel 31/03/08
      20.   to #14 02:19  |  Just Facts 31/03/08
      21.   to #15 02:22  |  Just Facts 31/03/08
      22.   Axel 02:23  |  Just Facts 31/03/08
      23.   This report is dead wrong! 02:35  |  George 31/03/08
      24.   In any event Christians make up 1/3 of the world`s population. 02:38  |  "come in" to what? 31/03/08
      25.   "Come in" to the Commonwealth of Israel. 02:42  |  knowing God 31/03/08
      26.   #15 your fear is without merit 02:46  |  Atoo 31/03/08
      27.   #4 02:48  |  George 31/03/08
      28.   muslims breed like rats,they dont give a damn if they can support 02:53  |  terrornator 31/03/08
      29.   axel,every time you post you reassure the rest of the world why 02:57  |  terrornator 31/03/08
      30.   So, what`s the argument here... 03:01  |  Che Vive 31/03/08
      31.   # 27 George 03:19  |  Axel 31/03/08
      32.   Much ado about nothing 03:21  |  Richard 31/03/08
      33.   Vatican: Islam surpasses Roman Catholicism as world`s largest rel 03:41  |  Atlas 31/03/08
      34.   I apologise for my previous comment 03:48  |  Yered Shmuel 31/03/08
      35.   Onward Christain soldiers,with the cross of Jesus 03:55  |  Devout Christian 31/03/08
      36.   Christians are thirty- three percent and Muslims nineteen 05:11  |  Shalom Freedman 31/03/08
      37.   If they ever rule the world 05:18  |  sweis Melbourne 31/03/08
      38.   Christ our Royal Master, leads against the foe... 05:25  |  Christian Soldier 31/03/08
      39.   Yered, I love you. Even if you are Jewish :) 05:30  |  Thank you and 31/03/08
      40.   Catholicism is not a religion 05:32  |  Mark Marshall 31/03/08
      41.   Theologist 05:34  |  Wade Whitlock 31/03/08
      42.   Axel 06:06  |  George 31/03/08
      43.   Muslims kill Christians all over the world then come here 07:10  |  Ralph 31/03/08
      44.   Islamic strategy. 08:28  |  Jean Van Daem 31/03/08
      45.   Why can you just accept that people are liking islam 08:37  |  free-speaker 31/03/08
      46.   to #36 [shalom freedman] 08:51  |  free-speaker 31/03/08
      47.   to #41 [Wade] 09:02  |  free-speaker 31/03/08
      48.   Comparing apples with oranges, isn`t he? 09:17  |  Johnboy 31/03/08
      49.   #32 One tiny little error there, Richard.... 09:19  |  Johnboy 31/03/08
      50.   to [terrornator] 10:15  |  free-speaker 31/03/08
      51.   to #27 [George] 10:21  |  free-speaker 31/03/08
      52.   CHRISTENDOM IS MELTING DOWN 10:31  |  indrajaya 31/03/08
      53.   STOP YOUR HOSTILE ATTITUDES 10:39  |  indrajaya 31/03/08
      54.   HS #17 14:45  |  Brod 31/03/08
      55.   Indrajaya #52, #53 15:00  |  Brod 31/03/08
      56.   To second #9 22:29  |  Ali 31/03/08
      57.   To Brod #55 22:44  |  Ali 31/03/08
      58.   #51 free speaker/deaf ear 02:36  |  George 01/04/08
      59.   To #47 14:56  |  Realist 01/04/08
      60.   Women in Islam 16:39  |  Convert 01/04/08
      61.   The Reality of Islam 20:13  |  Brod 01/04/08
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