Almost 12 months ago it was reported that Muslim students outnumber Roman Catholic students at middle and secondary schools in Vienna, the capital and largest city of Austria. Muslim students are also on the verge of overtaking Catholics in Viennese elementary schools. This suggests that a massive religious and demographic shift is under way in Austria, traditionally a Roman Catholic country. Austria’s longstanding Catholic culture is in serious decline. Record numbers leave the Church each year. Annual church tax (1% taxable income) and prominent sex scandals among the clergy have contributed to breaks from the church. Seeking God outside the confines of Catholicism is little understood at present. Church growth occurs within evangelical/charismatic churches. There needs to be multiplication of congregations where the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed and honoured. See also