Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 9:27am

PopeWatch: Hemorrhage

 

Pope Francis notes that the Church is losing clergy:

 

 

“We are dealing with a ‘hemorrhage’ that is debilitating to consecrated life and the very life of the Church,” the Pope said, noting that the number of desertions from the consecrated life is “worrisome.”

In his speech Saturday, the Pope cited three chief factors contributing to the loss of clerical and religious vocations: a society allergic to commitments, the worldly aspirations of many young people and the bad example of priests and religious.

We live in “an era of change,” Francis stated, “in which it is hard to take on serious, lifelong commitments” when everything around us seems temporary.

The present social and cultural context makes fidelity difficult, Francis said, since it is a culture of “the fragmentary and the provisional,” leading many to make choices “à la carte” while always “leaving ‘back doors’ open to other possibilities.”

The Pope said that this culture is rooted in “a strong practical relativism,” according to which everything is judged in terms of one’s personal fulfillment.

 

A second factor, the pontiff proposed, is the complicated world of young people today. While recognizing that there are many generous and committed young people in search of a deep spiritual life, many succumb to a secular logic entailing “a quest for success at any price, easy money and easy pleasures,” he said.

This logic “seduces many young people,” he added.

A third and final factor comes from within consecrated life itself, in which “there is no shortage of counter-witness that make fidelity difficult.”

When priests or religious sisters and brothers allow “routine, weariness, administrative burdens, internal divisions and careerism” to take root, there is little motivation to keep going when consecrated life becomes trying, Francis said.

In order to maintain its “fascination,” consecrated life must keep the “freshness and novelty of the centrality of Jesus,” which nourishes the “attractiveness of spirituality and the strength of the mission.”

Go here to read the rest.  The Pope ignores a factor that he himself is responsible for.  In his manic drive for ecumenism, the Pope has made it quite clear that it is of little importance whether one is Catholic or not.  The Pope is against proselytism of the Faith.  When the man at the top gives every indication that Catholicism just isn’t that important, it is no surprise that some clergy decide that their vocations simply aren’t worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mary De Voe
Mary De Voe
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 7:21am

Pope Francis just defined himself. The Love of Jesus is all.

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 7:25am

“Couldn’t have anything to do with abandoning the Liturgy of the Hours, communal living, the disconnect between Vatican II’s express statements on liturgy, or bishops who cow-tow to the secular world, could it, Your Holiness?”

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 10:18am

Modernists— you know so open minded their brains fell out. :/
We do see the unintended consequences of Joy and Hope —Gaudium et Spes. There is much good there but I never understood why we needed two different constitutions— one dogmatic and one pastoral. I think just that basic dialectic approach is the big bertha of Satan’s arsenal. Francis pits one against the other and then says this?

Pinky
Pinky
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 1:00pm

I’m not trying to stir up trouble here. But isn’t this the same reasoning he used for implying that a lot of marriages are invalid? Could the same thing apply here? Would it be inconsistent to say that many/most ordinations are invalid? Again, I’m not trying to stir up trouble, and I’m not questioning the validity of anyone’s ordination. I’m just talking/thinking through the implications.

pengiuns fan
pengiuns fan
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 2:18pm

These words, from the same Pope who had the FFI crushed, destroying vocations….
If the Pontiff wants an increase in the priesthood then he should quit and take the bishops like Cupich with him.

Philip
Philip
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 4:34pm

We do not have to look very far to see how well ecumenical practices have “fascinated” those in consecrated life. Or how the “freshness and novelty of the centrality of Jesus,” is booming in a land where former Cardinal, now Pope, lived out this mission.

Shall I guess that the “freshness” has swelled the seminaries in Argentina?

From the CIA Factbook, Argentina is 92% Catholic, but less than 20% attend regularly.

Pope Francis would do well to immerse himself in Poland. 88% Catholic and out of those 58% are faithful Mass attendees.
(wikipedia stats from ’05)

My suggestion is that he take leave of the office for two years, and Pope Emeritus return to the Chair of Peter.

Two years in Poland would remind him of the due diligence required to uphold, propagate and defend the True Faith from those who knowingly or unknowingly wish to subvert the Holy Catholic Church.

Since retirement from the position of Pope was extremely rare, this two year voluntary sabbatical should not be too difficult for Catholics in our era. After all, the resting or roasting of souls is at stake.

?

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 8:31pm

I just got this text from USCCB
“USCCB: Bishops express solidarity with Muslims, concern over religious freedom issues, in response to Executive Order on refugees:….
Maybe a uscccb watch alongside the pope watch would also shine some light on the hemorrhage.

CAM
CAM
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 10:44pm

I could be wrong but it seems that dioceses that are the most traditional have the most seminarians.

CAM
CAM
Tuesday, January 31, AD 2017 10:49pm

For the brothers and sisters, why not allow an “enlistment” – sign up for X number of years taking temporary vows; wearing traditional dress and living in community as stated above.

Do we have any former brothers, sisters and priests who would care to comment on the pope’s statement?

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Wednesday, February 1, AD 2017 3:31am

Since Vatican II the Catholic Church has been in the process of making itself more user friendly by removing the Cross as a necessary part of our Faith. In other words, you can have the faith without the Cross. Since religious vocations require the Cross it is should not be surprising that vocations are on the wane and have been for the last 50 years. To survive the Catholic Church must have the Cross.

Don L
Don L
Wednesday, February 1, AD 2017 4:14am

With central focus upon “social justice ” issues and a heavy drift away from the Church’s mission of salvation, why would a young man or women not chose to fight injustice in some well paying perk-filled government agency and avoid the drudgery and structural combat in this modern confused church?

Clara Coleman
Clara Coleman
Wednesday, February 1, AD 2017 5:51am

I second Anzlyne’s suggestion. Solidarity with those that want us to convert or die?! I’m shaking my head at what most of the USCCB puts out at this point.

It couldn’t have anything to do with the abandonment of tradition could it?! The the abandonment of the love of the Catholic Church?! I’m very glad I converted but boy oh boy, what a mess we have to live in and through in the church right now.

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