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'Let every one stay at home, that is, within himself, and sit in judgment on his own actions, without going abroad to investigate and criticise those of others.'

St. Philip Neri

On  the demise of his parents when he was twenty years old, Rocco distributed all his worldly goods   
among the poor and entered the Franciscan Third Order.

In the Netherlands, the Christian population has been declining for decades, the Jewish population is aging but is being stabilized by immigration, and the Muslim population has been growing and is notably increasing among youth. The fastest-growing demographic, however, is the non-religious population, which now represents the majority of Dutch adults.

Yes, Russian Old Believers are highly suspicious of the Fatima miracle, as are most Eastern Orthodox Christians, for several reasons rooted in theology and historical conflict. They would generally view the apparitions as a fabrication of the Roman Catholic Church or a demonic deception.

In general, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church views the Fatima miracle and other Marian apparitions authenticated by the Roman Catholic Church with suspicion, if they take a position at all. This is consistent with the broader skepticism found within Eastern Orthodoxy toward post-schism Catholic miracles.

Orthodox Christians, including Greek Orthodox, are generally skeptical or indifferent toward the Catholic miracles at Fátima. This stance is not unique to the Greek tradition but is part of a broader Orthodox caution towards apparitions and other mystical experiences outside their own church and tradition.

It is accurate to say that Romanian Orthodox Christians are generally suspicious of the Fatima miracle and other Roman Catholic Marian apparitions, though there is no single official stance. The skepticism comes from theological differences with Catholicism and a distinct Orthodox approach to spiritual experiences.

In Russia, the Jewish population has seen a significant decline, while the Muslim population is a fast-growing demographic due to higher birth rates and migration. The Christian population, predominantly Orthodox, has seen an increase in nominal affiliation since the Soviet era but low active participation, and the overall Christian population is decreasing due to a rise in irreligion and low birth rates.

In Turkey, the percentage of Christians and Jews has been in a long-term decline, a trend that accelerated during the 20th century. Historically, Islam has dominated the region, and today, Turkey's population is overwhelmingly Muslim, though contemporary studies indicate growing secularism, especially among the youth.

In Bulgaria, Christianity has been declining, while Islam has slightly decreased but the Muslim population is young. The Jewish population has been in sharp decline due to emigration. In Romania, Christianity is still dominant, but both the Christian and Jewish populations have declined. The Muslim population is growing, though it still makes up a very small percentage of the population.

In Scandinavia, Christianity and Judaism are declining while Islam is rising, primarily due to secularization among native populations and immigration patterns. While Christianity remains the largest religion in Scandinavia, the number of people affiliated with it continues to fall.

Yes, Christian and Jewish populations are declining in Europe, while Islam is rising, a trend driven by religious disaffiliation, lower fertility rates among Christians, and migration. Between 2010 and 2020, Europe's Christian population dropped by 9%, and the number of Jews decreased by 8%. In contrast, the Muslim population in Europe increased by 16% during the same decade. A significant portion of this growth is attributed to migration, especially into countries like Sweden, Austria, and Germany.

In both Belgium and Poland, Christianity is declining, while the Muslim population is rising. The small Jewish community in Poland continues its long-term decline, whereas in Belgium, the Jewish population is either stable or experiencing slight growth, primarily due to its Orthodox community.
Belgium
Christianity
The majority of Belgians are Roman Catholic, but the percentage of Catholics has steadily fallen.
Data from 2018 indicated that 57.1% of residents were Roman Catholic, but by 2023, another estimate showed Christians, in total, representing only 34% of the population. This points to a significant decrease in affiliation.
Islam
Belgium's Muslim population is growing due to immigration and higher fertility rates.
While some public estimates overestimate the size of the Muslim population, sources suggest it has grown from roughly 6% in 2011 to around 6.8% in 2018, with projections predicting it will make up over 10% of the population by 2030.

England
In England, the Christian population is declining while the Muslim population is rising. The Jewish population has remained relatively stable at a low percentage. These trends are documented in the 2021 census data for England and Wales.
Trends for major religious groups (England and Wales)
The most recent census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the following trends between 2011 and 2021:
Christianity: The number of people identifying as Christian fell from 33.3 million (59.3%) in 2011 to 27.5 million (46.2%) in 2021. This is the first time in a UK census that fewer than half the population identified as Christian.
No religion: The number of people reporting no religion surged from 14.1 million (25.2%) in 2011 to 22.2 million (37.2%) in 2021. This group saw the largest increase and is now the second most common response after Christian.
Islam: The Muslim population grew from 2.7 million (4.9%) in 2011 to 3.9 million (6.5%) in 2021, representing an increase of 44%.
Judaism: The Jewish population saw a slight increase in absolute numbers, from 265,000 in 2011 to 271,000 in 2021. However, as a percentage of the overall population, it has remained steady at around 0.5%.
Hinduism: This group also saw an increase, from 818,000 (1.5%) in 2011 to just over 1 million (1.7%) in 2021.

Data confirms that Germany's Christian and Jewish populations are declining, while the Muslim population is increasing. The largest religious shift, however, is the significant rise of people with no religious affiliation, who now constitute the largest single group in the country.

Shrinking membership: For the first time in 2024, the number of people with no religious affiliation officially surpassed the combined membership of Germany's Protestant (EKD) and Roman Catholic churches.
Mass departures: In 2024, both major Christian churches each lost approximately 580,000 members. This marks the fourth time in recent years that over one million people have left the two churches in a single year.



Recent demographic decline: A 2020 study noted that Germany's Jewish community was in a "terminal" state of demographic decline, with a very high percentage of its members over the age of 65 and a small percentage under 15. This suggests that without continued immigration, the population will shrink due to low birth rates and high death rates.


2024 data: In 2024, the Muslim population increased by approximately 80,000 people, according to data from asylum applications.

Roman Catholic decline
Decades-long decline: Catholicism's decline in France can be traced to the mid-1960s and the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. While over 80% of French citizens identified as Catholic in the 1950s, more recent figures show a significant drop in adherence and practice. For example, in a 2020 INSEE survey, just 25% of French people aged 18 to 49 identified as Catholic.
Overall secularization: France has been experiencing a long-term trend of secularization. The percentage of French people with no religious affiliation is increasing, with nearly half of all French people identifying as non-religious in 2023.
Catholic decline: The number of French people identifying as Catholic is falling. Between 2010 and 2020, INSEE recorded a sharp decline in Catholicism among 18-to-49-year-olds.
Low birth rate: France's birth rate is at a historic low. In 2024, the number of births continued a downward trend that began in 2011. The country's fertility rate in 2023 was 1.68 children per woman, reaching its lowest level since the post-war era.
As the table shows, Catholicism saw a decrease from 43% to 25% among the 18-49 age group between 2009 and 2020. In contrast, the number of individuals with no religious affiliation increased from 45% to 53% in the same demographic. Islam also experienced a growth in adherence during this period, rising from 8% to 11%.


Jewish population decline
Decline in population: Studies show a decline in France's Jewish population, which is still the largest in Europe. In 1970, the population was estimated at 530,000, but by 2020, that number had dropped to 449,000.Estimated 480,000–550,000 (2023).
Emigration to Israel: A significant factor in the decline is emigration to Israel, known as aliyah. Between 2000 and 2020, more than 51,000 French Jews made aliyah, far more than any other Western European country. This trend intensified after 2012 following a series of antisemitic attacks.

Muslim rise
Pew research center Nov 29, 2017 — Both France and the UK are expected to be roughly 17% Muslim by 2050 in the medium scenario, several percentage points higher than they would .
6.8 million people (INSEE data)