VATICAN - February 2, World Day of Consecrated Life: a treasure for the ecclesial community, in the variety of charisms and institutions

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Vita Consecrata,” published on March 25, 1996, gathering together the fruits of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops celebrated in October 1994 on “Consecrated Life and its Role in the Church and the World,” John Paul II writes: “We are all aware of the treasure which the gift of the consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and institutions represents for the ecclesial community. Together let us thank God for the Religious Orders and Institutes devoted to contemplation or the works of the apostolate, for Societies of Apostolic Life, for Secular Institutes and for other groups of consecrated persons, as well as for all those individuals who, in their inmost hearts, dedicate themselves to God by a special consecration” (VC, 2).
Pope John Paul II first established the celebration of the World Day of Consecrated Life on the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, on February 2, 1997. In the Message issued upon the event, on January 6, 1997, the Pope explained that the Day was intended “to help the entire Church to esteem ever more greatly the witness of those persons who have chosen to follow Christ by means of the practice of the evangelical counsels and, at the same time, is intended to be a suitable occasion for consecrated persons to renew their commitment and rekindle the fervor which should inspire their offering of themselves to the Lord.”
The contribution of consecrated life to the Church's apostolate comes by way of the Institutes for Religious Life (active orders) and Contemplative Consecrated Life (monks and contemplative orders), as well as Secular Institutes, and Societies of Apostolic Life.
According to the most recent Statistics from the Annular of the Church, as of December 31, 2006, the number of religious brothers has increased by 399 worldwide in comparison to the previous year, reaching a total of 55, 107. The continental distribution was: Americas (+ 187), Asia (+839), Africa (- 102), Europe (-489), and Oceania (-36).
There was a global decrease in religious sisters (- 7,129), in comparison to the previous year. As of December 31, 2006, there was a total of 753,400, distributed as follows: Asia (+ 2,382), Africa (+ 1,927), Europe (- 7,014), America (- 4,213), Oceania (- 211).
There were 691 members of masculine secular institutes as of December 31, 2006, with a global decrease of 50. While last year there was an increas on all the continents, this past year showed an increase only in Africa (+ 8), while Oceania remained the same, with 1 member, and there were decreases in America (- 21), Asia (- 1), and Europe (- 36).
The number of members of feminine secular institutes has diminished by 689, remaining 27,350 on December 31, 2006. The increases and decreases by continent were as follows: America (- 2) and Europe (- 783), Africa (+ 14), Asia (+ 81), and Oceania (+ 1). (SL) (Agenzia Fides 2/2/2009)