Pope Francis leaves Friday for his three-day trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The Central Church Statistics Office published statistics relating to the Catholic Church in the two countries, last updated as of 31 December 2015.
Georgia has a surface area of 69,700 km2 and a population of 4,506,000 inhabitants, of whom 112,000 are Catholics, equivalent to 2.5% of the population. There is one ecclesiastical circumscription and 32 parishes. There are currently two bishops, 28 priests, 39 religious (two male and 37 female), and 45 catechists. There are 14 seminarians. The Church has three centres for Catholic education, from pre-school to university level. With regard to charitable and social centres belonging to the Church or directed by ecclesiastics or religious, in Georgia there are nine clinics, one home for the elderly, sick or disabled, one orphanage/nursery, two family advisory centres, and two institutions of other types.
Georgia is 84% Orthodox, with a near 10% Muslim minority.
Azerbaijan has a surface area of 86,600 km2 and a population of 9,642 inhabitants, of whom 570 are Catholics, equivalent to 0.01 % of the population. There is one ecclesiastical circumscription, one parish and one other pastoral centre. There are currently seven priests, ten religious (three male and seven female), and four catechists. There is one seminarian. The Church has one centre for Catholic education, at secondary level. With regard to charitable and social centres belonging to the Church or directed by ecclesiastics or religious, in Azerbaijan there is one home for the elderly, sick or disabled.
Azerbaijan is 97% Muslim (mostly Shia).
