Additional Coverage:
- Pope urges religious orders to pray for new priests and nuns as their numbers continue to fall (newsbreak.com)
In a meeting at the Vatican on July 15, 2024, Pope Francis called on religious orders to intensify their efforts in recruiting and praying for more individuals to join the priesthood and religious life, recognizing that the future of these congregations is under threat as fewer individuals globally are choosing this path.
During a discussion with leaders of several religious orders, who are holding assemblies in Rome, the Pope inquired about the number of people currently in training to become priests or nuns within their communities. Responses varied, with figures such as eight, 12, and 17, most recruits hailing from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Pope Francis emphasized the urgency of the situation, exclaiming, “We have to double these numbers!”
The decline in religious vocations has been notable for over a decade, particularly in Europe and parts of the Americas, where the number of priests and nuns has not kept pace with deaths and those leaving the orders. Globally, though the inclusion of new priests from the Global South has somewhat mitigated this decrease, the total number of Catholic priests has slightly declined from 413,418 in 2011 to 407,872 in 2021, as per Vatican data.
The situation is more severe within female religious communities, which have been losing approximately 10,000 members annually over the same period due to deaths and departures. This attrition has reduced their numbers globally from 713,206 to 608,958 in a decade. This stark reduction has forced some orders to either merge, scale back operations, or even halt new admissions entirely, as their continued existence becomes uncertain.
Pope Francis, while recognizing the need for more members, also cautioned against compromising the standards of admission. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that new members are adequately prepared to carry forward the unique spirit and mission of their respective orders, stating, “You have to have successors who will continue your charism. Pray, pray.”