L'Osservatore Romano of May 10 and 11, 2005, made the following observations: in 1978 Europe supplied 37% of priests worldwide, the Americas 34%, Asia 18% and Africa less than 9%. Twenty-five years later, in 2003, Europe’s contribution had dropped to less than 22%, that of North & South America remained more or less stable at 33%, Asia had risen to 25% and Africa to around 20%. In the last few years, however, there has been a clear decline of vocations in Africa and Asia. [Unfortunately, the Vatican only keeps one issue of L'Osservatore Romano on its website at a time, therefore I cannot provide a link to the article in question. I tip my bowler to D.I.C.I. for reproducing the data from this issue of L'Osseravatore]
Africa and Asia have respectively 72 and 60 candidates for the priesthood per 100 priests. “In Europe, where priestly vocations seemed very weakened with only 12 candidates for the priesthood per 100 priests in 2003 (even if in 1978 there were fewer still: less than 10), the situation is especially worrying,” affirmed L'Osservatore Romano.
In terms of religious priests in the "mainstream" Church, here are a few samples:
Salesians of Don Bosco (S.D.B.): 25 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (10,963 priests 2,813 seminarians)
Society of Jesus (S.J.): 20 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (13,966 priests; 3,051 scholastics and 909 novices). A tip of the bowler to Jeffery, one of our readers, who provided me with these numbers.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.): 13 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (4,410 priests, 580 seminarians)
Order of Friars Minor Capucins (O.F.M. Cap.): 12 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (10,833 priests, 1,331 novices and postulants)
Order of Preachers/Dominicans (O.P.): 5 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (4,672 priests, 137 novices)
Compare this with the numbers for traditionalist orders who are hampered by marginalisation, decrees of excommunication, lack of funds to build the new seminaries they need, and other hurdles that the "mainstream" priesthood does not face:
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (I.C.R.): 150 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (40 priests, 60 seminarians)
Society of St. Pius X (S.S.P.X): 122 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests in U.S.A. District (50 priests, 61 seminarians) 40 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests worldwide (450 priests, 180 seminarians).
Fraternity of Saint Peter (F.S.S.P.): 60 candidates for priesthood per 100 priests (200 priests, 120 seminarians)
In general, these numbers are hindered only by the fact that seminary space is so limited for these orders. The F.S.S.P. has only two seminaries for example, and the I.C.R. has only one. The S.S.P.X does a lot of mission work in third world countries that cannot support seminaries.
Matthew VII,xviii-xx: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
NB: Whereas the traditionalist orders I've mentioned openly share their numbers on their website, I had to really search unofficial sites to find the numbers I did for the "mainstream" orders except for S.D.B. and O.M.I. who had stats on their main site. As such, they may not be entirely accurate but they should still give a picture.
Posted on the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, a.D. MMV
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