The Crisis of Religious 2024, III (Annuario Pontificio 2026)

Marists: There were 8,181 in 1973. Surely more before. As of January 1, 2013, only 3,524 remained. And there were 143 fewer than the previous year. That is what is called a demolition sale. One of the most spectacular. The Pope recently appointed their Superior General, I wrote that year, I don’t quite remember what. Perhaps a member of the Congregation for Religious. It would be an excellent appointment if Brother Turú came to explain to them what should not be done based on his personal experience. But I fear that will not be the case. That he will go through life puffed up, believing himself the Marist Superman. They have lost no less than 57% of the congregation, and that compared to 1973, which was surely higher. So what can I tell you? That the Marists are dying? Would that be an exaggeration? Probably not.

As of January 1, 2014, there were 3,424, 100 fewer than the previous year. The loss is already 59% , and the disaster continues.

As of January 1, 2015, only 3,346 remained. Compared to 2014, there are already 78 fewer. The loss of members is already 60% compared to those in 1973, but I am sure that in previous years there were more, so the real figure will be closer to 70%. They are already at a 61% loss.

On January 1, 2016, they continued to decline. There were only 3,241, 105 fewer brothers than the previous year. So every year that passes, more disappear. Now we are at a hundred; soon it will be two or three hundred who disappear each year.

On January 1, 2018, only 3,046 remained. One hundred eight Marists were lost in a year. Today, a year and a half after that date, we said then, we could be sure they have already lost the reference point of three thousand, of whom 1,500 will already need care and another thousand very soon. The loss is already at 63% but referring to 1973. Compared to eight or ten years earlier, when they must have reached their maximum number, the decrease must be around 70%.

At the beginning of 2019, 72 more religious had disappeared; it had not been one of the worst years. There were 2,974 left and the loss compared to 1973 is 64%

The bleeding continued in 2019, as on January 1, 2020, there were already 2,895. There were 79 brothers who evaporated, bringing the decrease to 65% compared to 1973. The real figure will be at least 70%

On January 1, 2021, there were already 2,785, 110 fewer Marists than a year earlier. The decrease compared to 1973 is 66%

On January 1, 2022, 84 more brothers had been lost: 2,701. The decrease is already 67%

On January 1, 2023, 121 more brothers had disappeared. 2,580 remain. The decrease is already 69% compared to 1973, so it is undoubtedly greater

On January 1, 2024, there were 2,496. In one year, 84 more brothers had been lost. They have lost 70% of the congregation.
On January 1, 2025, 73 were left by the wayside; 2,423 remain. The loss rises to 72%
Marianists: The Marianists are not faring any better. There were 3,934 in 1966. At the beginning of January last year, only 1,228 remained. And they had lost 51 brothers compared to the previous year. Another demolition sale. Today, no one becomes a Marist or a Marianist, and the old ones, naturally, die. Two congregations that were most meritorious in the education of youth and that lost that merit many years ago. These lost 70% of their religious. And it will only get worse. But, no news, my lady marquise. Nothing serious is happening here. Except that the house is consumed by fire and the firefighters are not coming. Nor are they expected.

As of January 1, 2014, only 1,198 remained, 30 fewer than the previous year. The losses remain at 70%.

On January 1, 2015, there were 1,182, 16 fewer than the previous year. The percentage of loss over those who were rises to 71%.

On January 1, 2016, there were 1,151, 31 fewer than the previous year. The losses remain at 71%%.

On January 1, 2017, only 1,093 remained, 58 fewer than a year earlier. The decrease is 73%

On January 1, 2018, they continued to decline; in the year that passed, 36 brothers were lost. 1,057 remain. They have already lost 74%

On January 1, 2019, 32 Marianists disappeared, leaving 1,026, bringing the decrease already to 75% and compared to 1973. When reporting this last number, September 2020, it is certain that they have lost the mark of one thousand

Indeed, they have lost it. On January 1, 2020, only 985 remained. The year meant the disappearance of 41 more religious. The decrease remains at 75%

On January 1, 2021, 55 religious were lost; 930 remain and the decrease rises to 77%

On January 1, 2022, 40 brothers disappeared: 890. They are already at 78%

On January 1, 2023, there are 30 fewer than a year earlier: 860. So the decrease is 79%

On January 1, 2024, 13 disappeared; 847 remain. They remain at 79%

On January 1, 2025, the exodus continues and 26 were lost along the way. 821 remain. So the decrease has already risen to 80%

 

Spanish Institute of St. Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions: Another manifest ruin of what it once meant for missionary evangelization. In 1976 there were still 325. Today 155 remain, or rather, there were a year and a half ago, although only one fewer than the previous year. Something so reduced, which moreover loses 52% of what it once was, is coming to an end.

As of January 1, 2014, there were two more than the previous year, 157. So they remain at a 52% loss.

As of January 1, 2015, they have dropped to 152. So the losses reach 54%. And we say the same as for some others. That compared to 1976, but surely ten years earlier there were more.

The decline continues and now in the near-nothing of a small group of elderly men. On January 1, 2016, there were only 147, five fewer than the previous year. Another point the losses rise, now at 55% of those who were in 1976.

The outlook is worse as of January 1, 2017, as only 139 remained, eight fewer than a year earlier. The decrease rises to 58% compared to those who were in 1976. It would be much greater compared to the immediate post-conciliar years

On January 1, 2018, four more religious are lost. 135 remain. With a decrease of 59%

Disappearances grow among groups of the elderly. On January 1, 2019, 9 more had been lost and only 126 remained. A 62% decrease and the loss compared to 1976.

The path to the abyss does not pause. In the year 2019, 17 more disappeared. On January 1, 2020, only 117 remained. They have already lost 64% compared to 1976

On January 1, 2021, 108 remained; 9 more had been lost. 67%

On January 1, 2022, another 9 disappeared and only 99 remain. The decrease is already 70%

These, surely due to my clumsiness, I have not found in the 2024 Annuario

Nor in that of 2025. Nor in that of 2026

 

Conventual Franciscans: There were 4,778 in 1967. In January 2013, 4,305 remained, with an increase of 16 friars compared to the previous year. So we are facing some true privileged ones. As of January 1, 2014, there were 4,294, with a loss of 11 friars compared to the previous year. They have lost only 11% of the friars. Given what we are seeing, it seems a miracle. As of January 1, 2015, there were 4,233, so the decline is already more pronounced, 61 fewer friars. The percentage of decrease rises to 12%.

On January 1, 2016, they had dropped to 4,225, eight fewer friars than the previous year. With a loss of 13%. Many would already like that for themselves.

On January 1, 2017, they had dropped to 4,165. They lost 60 friars although they remain at 13%

On January 1, 2018, they lost only seven friars, leaving the order with 4,158. They continue at 13%

The figures for January 1, 2019, are worse, with the disappearance of 95 friars. 4.070 remain and the loss rises to 15%

On January 1, 2020, miraculously they have an increase of 6 friars: 4,076. They remain at a very good 15%

On January 1, 2021, it arrived with discounts: 3,981 friars, 95 fewer than a year earlier. The decrease rises to 17%

On January 1, 2022, 51 friars disappeared: 3,930. The decrease rises one point: 18%

On January 1, 2023, another 51 fewer: 3,879. The decrease: 19%

On January 1, 2024, they were the same as the previous year: 3,879. 19%

On January 1, 2025, 62 friars were lost. 3,817 remain. The decrease has risen to 21%

 

Piarists: They had their maximum number in 1963 with 2,521 religious. At the beginning of 2013, they had dropped to 1,318. With a loss of 9 compared to the previous year. I see them as very lost and very secularized, and I know something about them because one of my sons was their student. Much more must be owed on their part. Although my son passed the meritissimus exam. They have lost 48% of their personnel and that will only increase. Well, it is not increasing. As of January 1, 2014, there were 1,330, 12 more than the previous year. As of January 1, 2015, the cut finally arrived as they had dropped to 1,298, 32 fewer than a year earlier. The decrease in religious is already 49%.

On January 1, 2016, there were 1,328, thirty more than the previous year. I find it hard to believe, knowing what happened in Spain, but that is what the Annuario says. The loss has been reduced by one point. It is at 48%.

And to my astonishment, they continue to increase. On January 1, 2017, there were 1,341, thirteen more than the previous year. The reduction has dropped to 47%

And they continue to grow; on January 1, 2018, there were sixteen more than a year earlier: 1,357. They remain at 47%

On January 1, 2019, they have a slight setback of three religious: 1,354. They continue at 47%

On January 1, 2020, they drop again. They lose 9 Piarists: 1,345. They remain at 47%

On January 1, 2021, it is time to increase, eleven more religious: 1,356. They continue at 47%

On January 1, 2022, it is time to descend, 19 religious: 1,337. Six consecutive years at 47%. Strange.

On January 1, 2023, there are 1,344, 7 more than a year earlier. They remain at 47%

On January 1, 2024, they had lost 13 Piarists: 1,331 remained. The loss is 48%

On January 1, 2025, 1,326 remained, 5 fewer than a year earlier. They remain at 48%

 

Mercedarians: Lately it was a minor order, the charism of redeeming captives having been exhausted, in which they were an extraordinary example of Christian charity. They devote their attention to prisoners, work that has all my approval, and they reached their maximum number in 1963 with 1,230 friars. As of January 1, 2013, only 691 remained, which were 4 fewer than the previous year. They have lost 43% of what they once were. And it is not going to get worse. Is it an exaggeration on my part to say they have a bleak tomorrow?

However, they increased minimally at the beginning of 2014. There were 711 with an increase of 20. That is not bad in such a small number. Although they remain at a 43% loss. As of January 1, 2015, they continue to decrease and there are only 681, 30 fewer than the previous year. And the percentage of their decrease over the maximum of what they were is already 45%

The decline continues. On January 1, 2016, they dropped to 671, ten friars lost in a year. The losses are already 46%.

On January 1, 2017, they continued to lose friars. There were already 659, ten fewer than a year earlier. They lose 47% of the order.

On January 1, 2018, they continue to lose friars, ten in this year. 649 remain. The decrease rises one point: 48%

A year later, on January 1, 2019, they have lost four more friars; 645 remain and the decrease remains at 48%

On January 1, 2020, the 645 and the 48% continue

On January 1, 2021, they increase. Not much, but four more friars: 649. The 48% continues. Surely to more than one it will seem odd given what is happening.

Well, here comes the cut: on January 1, 2022, 31 friars disappeared, leaving 618. So the decrease rises to 50%

On January 1, 2023, they say there are 4 more; 622. They remain at a 50% loss

On January 1, 2024, they have lost 20 friars; 602 remain. 52%

On January 1, 2025, there were 599 friars remaining. Three fewer than a year earlier. They remain at 52%

 

Discalced Carmelites: There were 4,236 in 1959. Today there are 3,964. At the beginning of 2013. And with an increase of 20 over the previous year. St. Teresa, on her imminent centenary, and St. John of the Cross, it seems, continue to work miracles. Personally, I have reservations about the Spanish Carmelites, or about some, but the data are what they are. And theirs are truly spectacular. Given what we have seen.

And they improve as of January 1, 2014, when they reach 3,995, 31 more than the previous year. A decrease of 6%, given what we are seeing, is really surprising. As of January 1, 2015, they continue to increase and reach 4,021, 26 more than the previous year. So the decrease is now only 5%.-

They continue to grow. As of January 1, 2016, there were already 4,071. No less than fifty more friars. They have only lost 4% so they can be rated with a meritissimus.

So much annual increase has now seen a break. On January 1, 2017, there were 4,044, 27 fewer than the previous year. Back to 5% of 2015

And on January 1, 2018, everything remains the same: 4,044 friars and 5%

They lose some at the start of 2019 as there are 18 fewer friars than a year earlier, 4,026. They continue at a 5% decrease, which is a truly extraordinary result but would require some explanation. Because of those 4,026 only 2,906 are priests. And what about the other 1,120? Lay brothers and students? That seems like a lot. And more so when lay brothers are disappearing and vocations are scarce. If they were students, with such a high number, ordinations would have to be very numerous, but according to their own data, the priests in the order are decreasing. In 2016 there were 2,937; the same in 2017; 2,915 in 2018 and 2,906 in 2019. I think they should explain these strange numbers.

On January 1, 2020, they descend again. They lose 32 friars, leaving 3,994, and even that seems like a lot to me given the situation in Spain. They already lose 6% and that seems very little to me.

On January 1, 2021, a slight decrease of 16 friars, 3,978. The decrease barely rises to 7%. And again very strange data. Of the 3,978 Discalced Carmelites, 2,897 are priests. Fine. And what about the other 1,081? Lay brothers and students? Who would believe that? And least of all the Carmelites.

On January 1, 2022, they continue with the same fiction. They say there are 3,975, three fewer than a year earlier. But the priests have dropped by fifteen, 2,882, while the mass of unknowns is 1,093. With these incomprehensible figures, I refuse to give a percentage of decrease

On January 1, 2023, 58 friars have already been lost. 3,917 remain. Of whom 2,886 are priests. And the remaining 1,031? A Discalced Carmelite assures me that the data are real and that those thousand are novices, students, and lay brothers. Well, if so, the result is magnificent and the loss only 7%

On January 1, 2024, 30 friars were lost. 3,887 remain. The loss rises to 9%, which, given what is being seen, are excellent results.

On January 1, 2025, the 3,887 and the 9% continue

Help Infovaticana continue informing