Catholic Church facing shortage of nuns

Catholic Church in India, is witnessing a decrease in aspirants to convent life, with more women choosing worldly professions, church authorities feel.

"Consumer culture seems to have overtaken the young girls who are no longer challenged by the call of ascetic life," says Father Paul Thelekat, Church spokesperson.

Women congregations in the country are no more getting enough vocations from urbanised areas of Kerala. But there are enough vocations to priesthood, said Father Thelekat.

Like the European countries where the nuns are becoming extinct as a social species, India too might face the same, he feels.

“May be the life and work of a sister or nun might have been challenging for the young girls, fifty years ago, but that is not the case today,” comments Father Thelekat.

In a series of articles published by SatyaDeepam, a church periodical, the prelate says, the issue could lead to a situation when existing congregations of women would be forced to abandon many of the institutional work they are doing in educational and medical care sectors.

The article also hinted on the discrimination in churches, which might also be the cause of nuns finding it hard to choose the ascetic life.

Says Sister Inigo from New Delhi, "Women do not enjoy equality of status in Church. Equality for women is a non–negotiable element as far as she is concerned."

"You cannot be quietly pious or quietly holy without critically considering this inequality," she added.

Father Lawrence Lakra of Rourkela diocese in eastern India says many young priests and nuns at first actually opt for missionary work. However, they begin doing education, social and health care services and eventually "get stuck as managers or directors" of the institutions.