Everyone is noticing the decline in vocations, but everyone seems to overlook one obvious, and perhaps chief reason--contraception. Without children, there is no future. The Western world has ignored Humanae vitae for nearly 40 years. And the result? the pews are empty (therefore Churches are closing), the seminaries are empty (close the seminaries), the religious houses and even entire orders aren't getting vocations.
The devil's plan is to destroy the family. "Be sterile and selfish" I seem to hear him say--population control, Planned "Barrenhood", contraception, abortion, sterilization, etc.
God's plan, "Be fruitful and multiply". As Pope John Paul II said to the families in the Jubilee Year 2000 A.D., "Do not be afraid to have children!" And to the Italians (who have been committing demographical suicide through contraception and abortion) he said, "Stop being selfish and start having children."
Families that follow God's plan tend to have more children and more vocations. We are getting lots of vocational inquiries from large Catholic families, frequently homeschooled.
If any of you are interested, there are some excellent Pro-Life vlogs at http://airmaria.com/?cat=8 Fr. Angelo is particular excellent on this subject. God bless you...
At Baptism, the priest should mention to the parents that the child COULD become a priest or a nun if they would support it....and the same at First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Plant the seed, priests.
Good point Father. It wasn’t unusual for families to have 8 or 10 kids and see several of them become priests or nuns just 50 years ago.
great post! God bless you with your vocation.
amen
ASIA IS CHURCH’S HOPE FOR VOCATIONS
Largest Number of Seminarians in India
VATICAN CITY, APR 20 (ZENIT).- Next Sunday, April 25, is the “World Day of Prayer for Priestly and Religious Vocations.” According to the latest estimates in the Holy See’s Statistical Yearbook, there are 404,208 priests in the world today, 140,687 of whom are religious clergy.
In his message for this day of prayer, the Holy Father has linked Vocations Day with the Jubilee. “Humanity needs holy priests and consecrated souls who live daily the total gift of self to God and to their neighbor,” he writes.
According to the latest estimates, there are 58,210 men religious (not priests), and 819,287 women religious, including cloistered nuns. The members of secular institutes total 31,197, almost all of whom are women (30,534 to be precise). There are at present 24,407 permanent deacons, of which 548 are religious.
The Holy See’s Statistical Yearbook reveals an impressive increase in the number of priestly vocations in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America between 1978 and 1997.
At present, there are 18,156 candidates for the priesthood in Africa, both religious and diocesan. In North America there are 5,413; in Central America, 9,589; in South America, 18,041; in Asia, 25,169; in Europe, 28, 641; and in Oceania, 861.
The increase of the number of candidates for the priesthood, including Eastern Europe, is significant. North America, however, is undergoing a serious crisis in vocations, and no let up is in sight.
The greatest surprise is that Asia has become the “vocational hope” of the Catholic Church. It has virtually the same number of seminarians as Europe and Latin America, in spite of the fact that in Asia the number of Catholics is only 4.5% of the total population.
India has become the country with the largest number of vocations in the world, specifically, some 10,000 seminarians, ahead of traditionally Catholic countries like Poland (6,954), Mexico (6,849), Brazil (6,805), Italy (6,299), Colombia (3,923), Spain (3,010), Argentina (2,046), and France (1,628).
The United States has 4,785 seminarians.
Other promising vocations in Asia include the Philippines, with 6,941 candidates to the priesthood; Indonesia, with 2,637; Korea, with 1,812; and Vietnam, with 1,412.
ZE99042003
Not only that, but, a family with 6 or 8 kids might rejoice if 1 or 2 decided to take holy orders. But in a family with only 1 or 2 kids to begin with -- the kids joining holy orders is a tragedy, extinction in fact (unless, of course, priestly celibacy is revoked.) Perhaps that's the real reason for vocational shortages -- parents discourage their scarce offspring from seeking them, for fear of having no grandchildren.
I know the feeling. I was unwillingly single til almost too late -- I married at age 38 (my wife was 34). Now we have 2 kids and we're hoping for at least a 3rd soon, before it's too late... but if God had seen fit to bring us together at an earlier age, we both would have wanted a lot more. And we're Protestants! (BTW, I have run into a number of non-contracepting Evangelical families over the years, with anywhere from 6 to 14 children. If only... if only...)
Great post, Fr. Thanks for being here.
Ping to several people who I know would enjoy Father Maximilian’s excellent and very insightful comments! (I know that I am pinging a few non-Catholics, but you are dear FRiends of mine and I know you will appreciate his insight.)
God Bless
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