Manila (AsiaNews) – Compared to the past, the number of vocations in the Philippines is rapidly declining. At a press conference in Manila's World Trade Center, setting for the National Congress of the Clergy, the Bishop of Imus, Luis Antonio Tagle admitted his concerns about the negative trend affecting priestly vocations. The decline may not have reached the critical levels of Europe and the United States, but the prelate urged "vigilance against the situation getting worse." There are currently about 8,700 priests in the country, each one serving on the average 15,000 parishioners. "It's too much. A single priest cannot serve so many people with so many different needs." Ideally, the ratio should be one for every 2,000 people; at worse, one for every 5,000. Given the situation, the Filipino Catholic Church would need about 25,000 priests.

After presenting his views about the present predicament, Bishop Tagle spoke about its possible causes. One of the reasons is the change in values: "From a predominantly agricultural, rural country, we are becoming more technological, scientifically advanced. However, progress leads to a consumerist lifestyle and a growing thirst for wealth. In such a context, the role of God in our lives and the priestly function take a back stage to money."

Even children are more aware of the importance of money. The bishop gave one example when he asked some boys if any of them wanted to be a priest, a boy answered him bluntly: "No, I want to make money." "While we recognize that the priestly vocation is a gift from God, there are also human factors that affect how this gift is received. There are material factors that influence how people decide," he admitted.

Whilst the first two days of the convocation were dedicated to praying and meditating over the meaning of the priesthood as gift-from-God, the last three will focus on the theological and pastoral experience of some participating priests. Bishop Tagle emphasised how the atmosphere of 4,000 priests gathered together in prayer "is really moving and reinforces the commitment of many."