In the Catholic Times, Light of the World column, the priest writer reminisces on the decrease of vocations to the religious life. He heard from a priest in charge of nurturing prospective seminarians, these days, high school students talk like this: "Father, it seems pointless to be a priest in today’s world." As proof of this, the number of vocations to the priesthood this year are only 10 seminarians at Catholic University Theological Seminary for the 2022 academic year.
About 10 years ago, there were about 30 to 40 seminarians, so why did it drop so sharply? Is it because of the declining population due to low fertility? Or was it a lack of interest in the things of the spirit? The causes may be complex, but hearing the stories of those who work in the relevant institutions brings us to a consensus that the roots of our faith have been weakened. It is said that the youth's vocations to religious life have decreased because difficulties in families have increased, and the awareness of the life of faith in the individual and society has weakened.
How close are you to Jesus Christ?
The decrease in vocations and the number of young people in the faith community is a situation that was predicted many years. ago. It is necessary to improve the pastoral vision, effectiveness, and system, but fundamentally, it is necessary to examine whether the church community faithfully follows and practices the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Children, and young people learn from the faith of the church community. But what faith are they learning now? Also, are they receiving spiritual and evangelical nourishment: warm love, hospitality, protection and care, attention and affection? When the world says that real estate, stocks, and money are happiness, are the priests, religious, and believers of the faith community speaking of the joy of the gospel as the highest value and testifying to the life of 'agape love'? Isn't this the source and essence of our faith?
Obviously, the existing way of life and society are changing rapidly. Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competition, anxiety, loneliness and alienation have increased. That's why there are so many sick teenagers. This is because the circumstances of the family and society are tiring and difficult. Because of the pain, there are many wounds and conflicts.
But is it just the youth? There are so many people who have been hurt in body and soul. So what is necessary? The pastoral heart of our church leaders, and policies and systems that consider and respect people are also necessary, but it is to give warm love and comfort to the people next to me. The writer of the column reflects on whether he is actually living and practicing such love.
"In the formulation and teaching of this social doctrine, the Church
has been, and continues to be, prompted not by theoretical motivation
but by pastoral concerns. She is spurred on by the repercussions that
social upheavals have on people, on multitudes of men and women, on
human dignity itself, in contexts where 'man painstakingly searches
for a better world, without working with equal zeal for the betterment
of his own spirit'. For these reasons, this social doctrine has
arisen and developed an 'updated doctrinal corpus' ... [that] builds up
gradually, as the Church, in the fullness of the word revealed by
Christ Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit reads events as they unfold in the course of history" (“Society Doctrine in Brief” 104).
