U.K | PRAYING FOR CATHOLIC

UNITED KINGDOM

Capital: London

Major Language: English

Area: 242,495 km2

Population: 68 million

HDI Rank: 13 of 189

Major Religion:

Protestant: 35.4 million (52%)

Other Religions:

Catholic: 7.5 million (10.9%)

Islam: 3 million (4.4%)

Other: 22.3 million (32.7%)

General Information:

Created in 1801, the United Kingdom (U.K.) today unites four distinct nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The British Empire once covered a quarter of the globe. Two world wars and the end of empire, diminished its role in the 20th century. Nonetheless, U.K. remains an economic and military power, with great cultural influence around the world. U.K. has produced many great writers, including Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and C.S Lewis, and is known for inventing soccer, rugby, cricket, boxing, and golf. Most popular sports are cricket and soccer.

Religious Background:

Forms of Christianity have dominated religious life over 1,400 years. The official religion of the United Kingdom is Christianity, with the Church of England being the state church of its largest constituent region, England. The Monarch of the United Kingdom is the Supreme Governor of the Church. In the U.K., regular church attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century. On the other hand, in the last 35 years, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism have gained adherents. About a fourth of the population in the U.K. profess to be non-religious.

Catholic background:

Christianity was present in Roman Britain from the 1st century. Up until the 1530s, Catholicism came under Rome. In 1533, Henry VIII broke ties with the Pope and formed the Church of England. In Scotland, Catholicism was practiced for nearly a millennium but was outlawed following the Scottish Reformation in 1560. It was restored in 1878. Catholicism in Northern Ireland is the fastest growing religion. In Wales, all were Catholics until the Reformation. Today, the country has only 6% Catholics. The Church is composed of 9 archdioceses, 34 dioceses and 3,099 parishes. Patron saints: George, David, Andrew.

Prayer Points

1. British to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior

Pray that everyone will get an opportunity to hear the gospel and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2. Catholics to know Christ

Pray for the salvation of 7.5 million Catholics in the U.K.
Catholicism is characterized by nominalism, secularism and non-affiliation. Pray for Catholics to be drawn to Christ and trust Him for their salvation.
Pray that Christ’s light will shine brightly and overcome the power of the darkness and that the gospel will go forth with full power and conviction.
Pray that Catholics will see the emptiness of their religious traditions, and discover true meaning and purpose through an intimate relationship with Christ.
Pray for all the Catholics attending the 3,099 parishes to come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Pray for the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, 5,653 priests, 2,177 brothers and 7,109 sisters.
Pray for the gospel to spread throughout U.K., and wherever it reaches, Catholics would respond positively.

3. Evangelicals to grow and multiply

The United Kingdom’s impact on global Christianity has been significant. Despite being marginalized, the church is growing, especially among the ethnic minorities. Pray that the church will continue to be a blessing to the nations of the world. Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to reach out and share the love of Christ with them.

4. Social evils and issues in the country

Astrology, New Age and the occult are becoming popular. Alcohol and drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, prostitution and gambling addiction are evils that plague the U.K. Pray that they would come to know Christ, and be set free.

5. Other Religions

Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and the Baha’i Faith are all prevalent in the U.K. Many are immigrants, who come from the world’s least-evangelized nations. Pray that they would hear the gospel and put their trust in Christ.