EDI TO R I A L UP FRONT GERARD MOLONEY CSsR
GOD'S SILENCE AND THE DEATH OF VOCATIONS
One
of the upsides of Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Ireland in 1979 was a significant spike in religious vocations. The enthusiasm generated by the visit reversed a decline in vocations that had been gathering momentum since the 1960s. But it didn't take long for the excitement to wear off and for vocations to wane once more. Today, the number of Irish in religious formation is at an all-time low, while every month, another convent or monastery is forced to close. Some hoped that Pope Francis' visit to Ireland in 2018 would lead to another surge in vocations, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the disappointing numbers at the papal events demonstrated just how much the country has changed in the last four decades. Ireland is a vastly different country now compared to 1979. In the past, vocations were nurtured in the home, school and parish. Schools actively promoted religious life as an attractive career option, alongside pensionable professions like the civil service and the bank. Pupils were accustomed to teachers and chaplains in religious garb. Today, nuns and brothers are missing from the classroom, and religious life scarcely features on any list of career options. A tremendous cultural shift has taken place in society’s attitude towards the church and religion. In the past, most young people grew up in a deeply religious environment that encouraged vocations. Religious paraphernalia dominated homes and was displayed in many public settings. Households prayed the rosary daily. Religion was vital to people’s identity, the prism through which they viewed the world. Now, in the words of sociologist Dr Tom Inglis, the institutional church and Catholic language, beliefs and rituals are no longer significant webs of meaning in people’s lives. In a short period, the Irish have moved from
being orthodox to being cultural in the way they use Catholic beliefs and values. Except for Christmas, Easter and special occasions, younger people are absent from church. Empty churches do not foster religious vocations. The extended lockdown of the past 18 months will have encouraged even more people to abandon regular church attendance finally. The public’s attitude towards religious authority has also changed dramatically. In the past, the prevailing mood, even by many who had abandoned the church, was docility. People doffed their hats to clergy and religious. People listened when a bishop spoke, even if they didn’t always heed him. Governments knew the importance of keeping the hierarchy onside. Priests and religious enjoyed significant social standing. Now, after years of secularisation, scandal and negative publicity, many young – and not so young – regard the church with outright hostility. They have not merely drifted away from the church; they have actively rejected it. Churchmen’s pronouncements are ignored or derided. Church teaching, especially on sexuality, is dismissed as outmoded. The church is seen as an anachronism, on the wrong side of the major issues of the day. Many prominent commentators, writers and influencers reject even the very notion of God. A militant atheism has become fashionable. Being 'woke' is understood to mean leaving childish religious notions behind. Religious education in the schools is failing. Two or three generations ago, school-leavers knew at least the rudiments of the faith. They could recite the catechism, even if they couldn’t comprehend much of it. Now, despite teachers’ best efforts, most graduates of Catholic schools are unable to explain even the basic tenets of what the church teaches. Poor religious knowledge produces few vocations.
As does poor liturgy. When people went to Mass out of obligation, it didn’t matter too much whether the liturgy was good or bad. Today, when people no longer feel obliged to go, the quality matters a great deal. Unfortunately, many liturgies are poor, with bad preaching, substandard or no music, and little active participation by the congregation. Bad liturgies do not entice people to attend. They certainly do not encourage religious vocations. Meanwhile, religious leaders continue to ask for prayers for vocations, even though it seems clear by now that God is not listening. Perhaps God’s silence is sending a message. The old clerical model of church is dying. Priesthood and religious life as we knew it are coming to an end. We need to imagine a radical new way of being church in the 21st century. Even though it may seem like we are peering through a glass darkly, we need to trust that God will show us a way forward.
Gerard Molonry CSsR Acting Editor
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