Vocation

With the etymological direction, the vocation is a call (Latin vocare , to call). It indicated the call a long time to be engaged in a religious life (priesthood, life monacale, etc). The concept enracine in the Bible and is correlative with the topic of listening. Today this word is used in a broader direction to indicate the call which can feel of the people to a particular mission: humanitarian, professional, scientific, etc

In the plural, this word indicates the number of applicants to the religious life, and in particular to the priesthood.

Religious vocations

The Christian Churches always called upon the vocations to ensure the diffusion of the Word of God (contained in the Bible and the Gospel S): Pasteur S, Deacon S, priest S, bishop S, religious S, etc

The vocation is included/understood like a divine call: God causes itself the vocations through the prayers of the faithful ones. In particular, the perpetual Adoration is conceived like a means of causing the vocations.

The Marriage, the family and the baptism are also called vocations.

August 1st

In Europe

Since second half of the 20th century, the number of vocations in Europe fell, involving an ageing of the population of the pastors of these churches and difficulties to ensure the traditional services: celebrations, Baptism S, Catechism, etc the Churches resulting from the Reform (protestanstism) in Europe are also touched.

The reasons of this disaffection are difficult to encircle.

The council the Vatican II resulted in more largely to open the Church on the world. Previously, the major part of faithful of the catholic Église was in Europe (France, Italy,…). This is also a consequence of the world demographic trends, with more a strong growth in the countries of the Tiers-Monde.

It should be noted that, if the number of priest S.A. indeed strongly lowered in Europe, the number of Diacre S permanent, very strongly increased to him.

On the other continents

The Africa is the most dynamic continent on the plan of the vocations (+6% seminarists in 2004).

Catholicism

World statistics

According to the statistics published by the the Vatican (Annuarium statisticum ecclesiae 2004), the number of seminarists in the world increased by 77% between 1978 and 2004. This increase is primarily due to the continents African, American, and Asian.

This figure is to be brought closer to the increase in the number of catholics (+ 45% in the world always due to the same continents), parallel with the increase in the world population over the same period.

For the same period, the number of permanent deacons in the world passed from 5500 to 32000.

See too

External bonds

  • Vocations in the Catholic church
  • the vocation with the priesthood
  • mavocation.org: The site of the vocations - diocese of Paris

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