Religious Orders Declining Precipitously. Hey, Let’s Just Keep Doing What We’re Doing!!!

[Michie]

In what world is rapidly declining numbers a sign that we should just continue doing exactly what we are doing? Better yet, let’s punish those “conservatives” who seem to be bucking the trend by growing the Church so we can keep doing what we’re doing…but more.

This is our strategy. They may not say it outright but that’s what the Church is currently doing. This is Fail Theater writ large on a global stage.

With the numbers of priests of the top dozen religious orders declining precipitously, we are told that we should double down on what we’re doing. Some may call that insanity. Catholics call it synodality.

Gloria TV: Catholic-Hierarchy.org published charts showing the number of priests and members of the top dozen religious orders since the 1960s.

The Jesuits were the first order of the top dozen to have lost more than half of their members from their high point in 1966 (1966: 36,038; 2011: 17,908 members). They are currently at 14,195 members, down 61% from the all time high. There is no change in the trends since Francis, a Jesuit, became Pope.

Regarding the number of their members, two orders reached that sad milestone in 2016: the Franciscans (now down 55%) and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (now down 54%); and two in 2022: Redemptorists (down 51%) and Vincentians/Lazarists (down 52%).

Continued below.

Religious Orders Declining Precipitously. Hey, Let's Just Keep Doing What We're Doing!!!

In what world is rapidly declining numbers a sign that we should just continue doing exactly what we are doing? Better yet, let's punish those "conservatives" w

creativeminorityreport.com

 

[Wolseley]

The Jesuits cut their own throats when they abandoned their Catholicity back in the 1960s; the order that had once been a bulwark of the Faith rapidly devolved into just another left-wing agitation outfit, experimenting with every woke fad that came along. They remain a sad joke.

I am unfamiliar with the vast majority of the other orders, except for the Capuchin Franciscans, whom I once investigated joining, back in the very early 1990s. I found them, at that time, to be very involved with social justice and charity, but with a sort of lightweight Catholic veneer over the whole thing. They also had, unfortunately, a very entrenched and widespread homosexual community intertwined amongst their members. I decided that it wasn't the place for me.

Religious orders, on the whole, are not organizations that the Church created; they were, originally, groups of like-minded Catholics who banded together and formed communities as a means of both living their beliefs and physical safety. In the collapse of the Roman Empire, things were quite unsettled, indeed, and there were dangers aplenty. Building a walled monastery, which could be more easily defended than open ground, just made sense. The community could form its own schools, farms, housing, etc., and the goal was to be self-sustaining, separate from the chaos going on in the world at large. As time went on and stability crept back in to the secular arena, the Church accepted these orders and absorbed them.

Today, of course, things are (comparably) peaceful and stable, and the idea of isolating oneself in a religious community is much less attractive to most people, because there are plenty of ways to support themselves without the need for walls and arms. However......the way things are going, there just might end up being another collapse of civilization; and if so, there might very well be a resurgence of monastic communities, as people seek safety and stability in the face of the howling anarchy in the secular world.

 

[chevyontheriver]

In what world is rapidly declining numbers a sign that we should just continue doing exactly what we are doing? Better yet, let’s punish those “conservatives” who seem to be bucking the trend by growing the Church so we can keep doing what we’re doing…but more.

This is our strategy. They may not say it outright but that’s what the Church is currently doing. This is Fail Theater writ large on a global stage.

With the numbers of priests of the top dozen religious orders declining precipitously, we are told that we should double down on what we’re doing. Some may call that insanity. Catholics call it synodality.

Gloria TV: Catholic-Hierarchy.org published charts showing the number of priests and members of the top dozen religious orders since the 1960s.

The Jesuits were the first order of the top dozen to have lost more than half of their members from their high point in 1966 (1966: 36,038; 2011: 17,908 members). They are currently at 14,195 members, down 61% from the all time high. There is no change in the trends since Francis, a Jesuit, became Pope.

Regarding the number of their members, two orders reached that sad milestone in 2016: the Franciscans (now down 55%) and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (now down 54%); and two in 2022: Redemptorists (down 51%) and Vincentians/Lazarists (down 52%).

Continued below.

Religious Orders Declining Precipitously. Hey, Let's Just Keep Doing What We're Doing!!!

In what world is rapidly declining numbers a sign that we should just continue doing exactly what we are doing? Better yet, let's punish those "conservatives" w

creativeminorityreport.com

Extinction happens. The founding charisms of these communities are awesome, but if those are abandoned then extinction may be a good thing. If they cannot adapt to the challenges caused by their self-introduced mutations then the best thing is for them to fade away.

Sad. I knew and knew of some grand Jesuits back in the day.

 

[RileyG]

Praying for many good and holy religious vocations. God’s will be done.

 

[Valletta]

Extinction happens. The founding charisms of these communities are awesome, but if those are abandoned then extinction may be a good thing. If they cannot adapt to the challenges caused by their self-introduced mutations then the best thing is for them to fade away.

Sad. I knew and knew of some grand Jesuits back in the day.

Jesus the True Vine​

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. RSVCE

 

[fide]

I have the sense that the problem is that godlessness - total apostasy - spiritual darkness - are increasing. God - Truth - Light - are being marginalized, ignored, denied, hated. Lawlessness is growing because hatred of law and truth and goodness and purity are growing in human souls. The example of gender insanity is called to witness; I rest my case. All who have ears to hear had better be more attentive than ever in their lives before. Now is the time to repent, and believe, and live, because surely the time remaining is little.