IS RELIGIOUS LIFE DEAD?

Following a recent Zoom meeting of an Anglican bishop with a society of priests to which I belong, I’ve been ruminating on his critical comments concerning the state of Religious Life in the Church of England.

Whilst it’s clear that many of the traditional Orders are a shadow of their former selves and some have died or will soon come to an end, that is not true of all. First Order Franciscans have a number of novices and the Third Order is flourishing (yes, it’s a recognised Order); the Benedictines at Mucknall have been slowly growing over a number of years and a few others (the Sisters of Bethany, Tymawr and Wantage) all have novices, as does Mirfield. Not in the numbers they once had, but there is plenty of life in those communities.

The re-establishment of Religious Life in the Church of England was considered by many as the crowning glory of the 19th century Catholic Revival. It was catholic clergy from Fr. Benson SSJE to Fr. Robert Grafton CSWG who heard that call to consecrate their lives through Religious Vows and Anglo-Catholic clergy who assisted many women in particular to consider their own call. All that was done against the background of a church which was often disinterested and sometimes hostile to that ‘romish’ development – a disinterest that seems to be growing. During research for my new book ‘What Do You Seek; Treasures of Religious Life’, I have encountered young women who were actively discouraged from considering such a Life by their DDO’s and told that they needed to be priests. Others had no idea there were Religious in the C of E and had been looking to Rome.

One of the marks of true Catholicism has always been that it sees the need, value and benefit of those consecrated to God under Religious Vows. To forget or ignore that not only diminishes the possibility of vocations to that Life but also denies it the support and encouragement it needs and diminishes the catholic nature of the Church. Whilst I regret being called to leave SSF I also believe it ought to be one of the marks of a truly catholic society such as SMMS to actively pray for, encourage and support vocations to Religious Life. We ought to be involved with Orders, especially those such as SLG who have a commitment to pray for clergy; to be using those monasteries and convents which still exist both for our own needs and the benefit of our parishes and institutions – Hilfield Friary, for example, welcomed hundreds of parish, educational and military groups whilst I was there.

Numbers of younger people are also often not found in the church, but I have encountered some on visiting communities because they find there a depth of spirituality they don’t find in their local churches. Might it be one of the distinctive marks of the Sodality that we picked up the baton of praying for, encouraging vocations – and to be re-discovering the riches offered by Religious Life?