On June 6, 2024, Pope Francis expressed his concern at the declining number of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and the importance for priests to have support. He was addressing participants in the plenary session of the Dicastery for the Clergy
In recent years the decline in the number of seminarians has affected every continent apart from Africa.
Nevertheless, Pope Francis urges us not to resign ourselves to the situation. Rather, we should find answers to what he sees as one of the “greatest challenges” for Catholics.
A vocational crisis affecting both priesthood and marriage
“One of the great challenges for the People of God is the fact that, in an increasing number of areas of the world, vocations to the priestly ministry and to consecrated life are declining sharply, and in some countries they are almost dying out,” Pope Francis told participants at the plenary session of the Dicastery for the Clergy.
The department serves some 407,000 Catholic priests worldwide, as well as permanent deacons and seminarians (110,000 in 2021).
For the Pope, this vocations crisis affects not only the priesthood, but also “the vocation to marriage, with the sense of commitment and mission it requires.”
“We cannot resign ourselves to the fact that for many young people the hypothesis of a radical offering of life has disappeared from the horizon,” said Pope Francis.
Last month, in an address to Teams of Our Lady, the Pope noted the problem with vocations to marriage:
I see a great urgency today: to help young people to discover that Christian marriage is a vocation, a specific calling that God addresses to a man and a women so that they can fully realize themselves as generative, becoming a father and a mother, and bringing the Grace of their Sacrament into the world.
Then, a few days ago, the Pope expressed his concern at the “shortage of [priestly and religious] vocations in Italy” in a speech to nuns of that country.
Data from a 2021 report by the Italian Bishops' Conference revealed that in just 10 years, vocations declined by 28%. In particular, the number of seminarians has dropped by more than half in 50 years. In 1970, there were 6,337 seminarians, compared with 2,103 in 2019.
More broadly in Europe, in the space of 10 years, the continent has lost around 27,000 priests, 6,000 seminarians, and almost 80,000 nuns, according to data on the Catholic Church published in 2023.
With the exception of Africa, all continents are experiencing a decline in the number of seminarians.
Priests bear “the weight of so much fatigue”
Pope Francis expressed his gratitude for the difficult work of priests.
Many times, I have warned against the dangers of clericalism and spiritual worldliness, but I am well aware that the vast majority of priests work with great generosity and spirit of faith for the good of the holy People of God, bearing the weight of many hardships and facing pastoral and spiritual challenges that are sometimes not easy.
He also stressed the importance of “the ongoing formation of priests,” an essential element in “a world marked by rapid changes.” This includes “weaving a strong network of fraternal relations,” he says, to combat the loneliness many priests face.
The journey cannot be taken alone! And yet, unfortunately, many priests are too lonely, without the grace of accompaniment, without that sense of belonging that is like a lifebuoy in the often-stormy sea of personal and pastoral life. Weaving a strong network of fraternal relations is a priority task in ongoing formation: the bishop, priests among themselves, communities in relation to their pastors, religious brothers and sisters, associations, movements: It is indispensable for priests to feel “at home.”
You, as a Dicastery, have already begun to weave a global network: I urge you, do everything to ensure that this wave continues and bears fruit throughout the world. Work creatively so that this network is strengthened and offers support to priests. You have a key role for this!
Permanent deacons
On the subject of the permanent diaconate, Pope Francis simply recalled that it had been reintroduced by the Second Vatican Council, and that there was still a need to reflect on the specific identity of this ministry.
"Over these decades, it has had a very varied reception," he said. "Even today, however, questions are often asked about the specific identity of the permanent diaconate. As you know, the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, last October, recommended “carrying out an evaluation of the implementation of the diaconal ministry after the Second Vatican Council” (Synthesis Report 11 g), and also calls for a more decisive focus, among the various tasks of deacons, on the diakonia of charity and the service of the poor (4 p and 11 a). Accompanying these reflections and developments is a rather important task for your Dicastery. I encourage you to work for this and to deploy all the necessary forces."
He did not mention the ordained female diaconate, the possibility of which he clearly ruled out in an interview with the American channel CBS, broadcast on May 21.
