Tuesday, August 22, 2017

France: Clear Shift in Seminaries -- Diocesen Seminarians Decline, Traditional and Communauté St Martin Communities Increase

What will the priest of tomorrow be like? France shows a clear
indication.
(Paris) The trend of the figures about French seminarians shows some notable trends. Riposte Catholique compares the figures of the seminarians of May 2017 with those of May 2010. What changes can be seen during these seven years, the duration which consists of an entire period of priestly formation?
At the end of the 2009/2010 academic year (shortly before priestly ordinations) there were 918 seminarians in France. At the end of the 2016/2017 academic year, the figure was 853. This represents a drop of seven percent.
The numbers include the diocesan seminaries and all seminarians, whether French or foreigners, who study for a French diocese. Also included are the secular priestly communities of tradition (including the Society of St. Pius Xth ) and the Communauté St. Martin, which is playing an increasing role in France. The picture is therefore not entirely complete, since the Catholic orders are missing. The statistics, however, deliberately includes the world clergy.

Growth of communities of tradition and community of St. Martin


Seminarists in France: comparison between the academic years 2009/2010 and 2016/2017

The 94 French dioceses experienced a drop in French seminarians of almost a fifth (-18.2 percent). In the case of foreign seminarians preparing for a priesthood for a French diocese, the decline was even more pronounced and almost one quarter (23.1 per cent).
On the other hand, the priestly societies of tradition show an annual increase. The number of their seminarians rose from 140 in the academic year 2009/2010 to 160 in the academic year 2016/2017. This represents an increase of 14.3 percent.
During the same period, the Priestly Society of St. Martin (Communauté St. Martin), which was founded in 1976 by Jean-François Guérin, priest of the Archbishopric of Tours, was canonically erected with the help of the Archbishop of Genoa, Giuseppe Cardinal Siri. Guérin died in 2005, who was the Superior General until 2004, and was a member of the old-rite Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault. The mother house and the community priest's seminary are now in the former Benedictine Abbey of Evron.
The Priestly Society of St. Martin, who had 43 seminarians in France in 2010, had 98 in the past year. It was able to more than double its numbers. The increase is 128 percent.
The figures do not include the members of the Propaedeutic (Preseminary).

Clear shifts in the overall picture

The changes also mean shifts in the overall picture. In 2010, French diocesan seminarians accounted for two-thirds (66%) of all seminarians preparing for the priesthood in France. With the foreign seminarians who studied for French dioceses, their share amounted to 80 per cent. The seminarians of the priestly communities of tradition accounted for 15.3 per cent of the total number. The Communauté St. Martin had a share of 4.7 percent.
In 2017, the picture is clearly different: the French diocesan seminarists now account for only 58 percent of all seminarians who are covered. Together with the foreign seminarians for French dioceses, their share is 69.7 percent. The proportion of the priestly communities of tradition has increased to 18.8 per cent, and that of the Communauté St. Martin even to 11.5 per cent.
The proportion of diocesan seminarians are also distributed quite differently in the diocese. Eleven of the 94 dioceses had only one seminarian in the past year, five had no one. 13 dioceses had only two seminarians, 17 more only three, and another 18 dioceses between four and five seminarians. In other words, two-thirds of the French bishops do not even have a new priest every year.

Half of the diocesan seminarians are from 13 of 94 diocese - except Frejus-Toulon

More than half of all diocesan seminarians are from 13 of the 94 dioceses. Two diocese stand out: the Archdiocese of Paris and the Diocese of Frejus-Toulon. The largest number, with 70 seminarians, is the Archdiocese of Paris. At the lower end of the list, the seminarians of 42 diocese are to be counted in order to reach the number of seminarians in Paris. The archdiocese includes 3.3 per cent of the inhabitants of France, but accounts for 11.8 per cent of diocesan seminarians and 8.2 per cent of all seminarians.
The Diocese of Frejus-Toulon in Provence is a real exception. It has been headed since 2000 by the Bishop Dominique Rey. Although the Diocese is only 1.6 per cent of the population of France, the small diocese, with 42 seminarians, represents seven per cent of all diocesan seminarians and almost five per cent of all seminarians. On the whole, the seminary of Frejus-Toulon attracts most priestly vocations in proportion. At the seminary, 66 seminary participants were trained in the last academic year. In the past, Bishop Rey has promoted the establishment or founding of new orders and communities, including those with a missionary and traditional charism. The education at the diocesan seminary of Frejus-Toulon is also appreciated by priests of tradition.
27 dioceses had more seminarians in 2017 than in 2010. Not all of them signify a trend reversal, but some already. Worth mentioning was the increase, especially in the diocese of Lyon, Bayonne, Rennes, Montpellier, Meaux, Saint-Brieuc and Digne. The diocese of Bayonne is also headed by Monsignor Marc Aillet, a traditional bishop, who belongs to the Priestly Society of St. Martin.
Overall, a general shift can be observed. It leads away from the post-conciliar spirit and in a graded way towards the tradition.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Riposte Catholique
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

21 comments:

Jack said...

Mgr Rey, Bishop of the diocese of Toulon is only 65 y.o.
thus still 10 years from retirement. No doubt that Francis is consideing how to prevent his diocese producing so good fruits for the next 10 years.
For the other bishops, Mgr Rey is an example that may risk becoming contagious. It is urgent to stop him.

Anonymous said...

+Archbishop Lefebvre would be heartbroken to see what has happened to France. Then he'd start re-evangelizing France with all his might.



cmdrew said...

Msgr. Rey is doing exactly what Benedict wants (the “reform of the reform” mass) and what Francis would gladly tolerate as long as is lead by the SSPX Prelature, after which, the 1962 Missal as is now known will have to be abrogated.
They thrive because they have compromised for the appearance of tradition. Since “conservatives” don’t have the backbone to claim their ecclesiastical traditions by right, they are content with crumbs.

JBQ said...

P Francis is out to crush traditionalism. Any semblance of cooperation is only a "smokescreen" for his agenda. The blueprint is written for all to see in Malachi Martin's "The Jesuits".

C.M.Drew said...

I agree, but not before he has the SSPX prelature (with all the indult/Summorum Pontificum communities under them) in the bag if they are foolish enough to go for it.

Anonymous said...

Malachi Martin did so much good. He has today fierce critics among some traditionalists who imply all sorts of things about him of which there is no real evidence when you study. On the other hand his fruits are evident. He explained so much that is going on, even taking time to tell us many times to look to the sky in our day 2017. He was right about that too. Chastisement is coming.

JBQ said...

Malachi implies that a comet will hit the Earth.

Anonymous said...

He implied that it would be in the sky and to watch. He was revealing the chastisement of the 3rd secret without directly breaking his vow of silence on the matter. He wasn't incorrect and he wasn't the only one who said it was coming. Saint Hildegard told us 1,000 years ago it was coming:
“Before the Comet comes, many nations, the good excepted, will be scoured with want and famine. The great nation in the ocean that is inhabited by people of different tribes and descent by an earthquake, storm and tidal waves will be devastated. It will be divided, and in great part submerged. That nation will also have many misfortunes at sea, and lose its colonies in the east through a Tiger and a Lion. The Comet by its tremendous pressure, will force much out of the ocean and flood many countries, causing much want and many plagues. All coastal cities will be fearful and many of them will be destroyed by tidal waves, and most living creatures will be killed and even those who escape will die from a horrible disease. For in none of these cities does a person live according to the laws of God."
http://catholicprophecy.org/st-hildegard/

And fulmens, if it landed on your head I doubt it would make any difference.

James said...

That's good news. The Novus Ordo is crap.

Unknown said...

And then there's this:


https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/08/24/pope-francis-says-magisterial-authority-vatican-ii-liturgical-reform-irreversible

Seattle kim

Anonymous said...

A.H. Pope Francis just declared today that the "Magesterium" of Vatican II and of the NOvus Ordo was irrevocable. Yeah, right Bergoglio. It's irrevocable. HAHAHAHA. The minute you're dead or resigned, all you stand for and your agenda will be trashed....quicker than a heartbeat by the new Pope.
Damian Malliapalli

Anon said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
James P said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anon said...

Well, if it isn't the neurotic wannabe undertaker to the popes who's back to entertain the masses with the lunatic cackle.

James P said...

Then it's clear that the blog administrator concurs with the toilet breath James, that the Mass is crap.
Top effort there, Tancred. Definitely a gong for you in the Officers' Club.

Anon said...

Martin also fancied himself as the woman clothed with the sun and the moon and the stars beneath his feet.

Anonymous said...

I'm not neurotic, buddy man. I may be younger that you, or most of the contributors,but I've seen a lot of the world, and of the Church...and have a small network of friendswho are religious priests and sisters in various countries who can confirm what I contribute here about Bergoglio and people in their countries feelings towards him. I even have a young priest friend who works in the Vatican as a clerk (data entry clerk.) who always confirms the ill will of most in the Vatican for Francis.
So I don't just spout out stupid, insulting and a.h. comments on a great website like this....like you do.
Damian Malliapalli

Anonymous said...

It is very reversible. I am young, born in the Novus Ordo. Found the Tradition. Now I reject NO. Managed to draw several people away from its poison. So much for irreversible :)

Anonymous said...

Good for you. I know of a lot of young people who are doing the same thing. Many young priests are turning their backs on Vatican II and Francis, and embracing Catholic tradition. A.H. Pope Francis won't like this, but it's all because he's alienated so many people with his big mouth (boca grande), and his ignorant, undereducated, insulting comments towards the Catholic Faith and our tradition. These priests are just simply ignoring him. They have no respect for him, unlike priests for generation had respect for the Pope. There's more than just a few young priests in Italy who have just turned their backs on him, ignore his statements, and uphold Catholic tradition and the traditional Mass all the same.
Francis is such an idiot. He thinks he's excercising Papal prerogative and power. But what he is really doing is splitting the Church, and creating so many enemies that it boggles the imagination that he can be that shortsighted. If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be funny. He's probably the most despised Pope in 500+ years, when there were a string of either corrupt or just plain disconnected Popes who brought on the Reformation.
Remember that old formula that went like..." every action has an equal or opposite reaction."? Just wait, and see. Remember the posters up in Rome against him? That's nothing compared to what's coming!
Damian Malliapalli

Anon said...

Yes, this is precisely what happens when 'religion' gets the better of a person. There's an entire dedicated ward of a psych hospital in Jerusalem that treats the now well known and recognised syndrome.
In some cases, the therapy has been effective.

Anonymous said...

Yeah Anon 2:58AM, I'm sure he did. He did everything he could to expose the fruits and satanists in the Vatican and tell us what they were hiding in the 3rd Secret and why Jesuits were up on Mt. Graham with a $150 million dollar infrared telescope. Now, please tell us what an idiot troll like you has done for the Catholic religion or faithful? That's okay, I already know the answer: Nothing.