The number of religious is currently continuing to decline, and the situation seems to worry the Pope.
Welcome, Pope Francis.
How many novices do you have?
Three. But around the world, there are many.
Yes? Where?
Africa, India, Korea…
POPE FRANCIS
I see these novices and I wonder how many are Italian? Few. There is a shortage of vocations in Italy. Let us think and pray for vocations to consecrated life.
However, Pope Francis has also asked that candidates be carefully studied, since some do not enter the religious world just because of their vocation. Pope Francis says that these are the ones who enter through the window and not through the door.
POPE FRANCIS
Following Jesus in the priesthood or consecrated life, you have to go through a door. And the door is Christ. He calls. He starts. He does the work. There are some who want to go in through the window. That doesn't work. If someone you know or friends have come in through the window, hug them. And explain that it's better for them to go and serve the Lord elsewhere.
Pope Francis has asked all those who live in consecrated life not to pay attention to what other people might say.
POPE FRANCIS
The world often sees it as “a waste”: “look at that fine young person becoming a friar or a nun, what a waste! If at least they were ugly… but what a waste”! That is how we think. The world perhaps sees this as a relic of the past, something useless. But we, the Christian community, men and women religious, what do we see?
Currently, the number of religious who are not priests is almost 50,000 men and about 600,000 women.
BAM
TR: GS
