EUROPE/ITALY - There are 19.850 Jesuits in the world: numbers of priests and brothers continue to decline

Thursday, 31 March 2005

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Rome (Fides Service) - The Curia of the Society of Jesus sent Fides a report on the numbers and presence of its members in the world. On January 1 2005 there were 19,850 Jesuits and of these 13.966 are priests (-182 compared with 2004), 3.054 scholastics (+ 2), 1.921 brothers (- 62) and 909 novices (- 78). The overall number compared to 2004 was 320 less. In the past year there have been 512 new arrivals, 414 deaths and 418 men have left the Society. The Jesuit Curia said the information confirm the tendency in the past 15 years. On January 1 2005 the average age of Jesuits was 53.18: 59.83 for priests, 28.84 for scholastics and 62.57 for Brothers.
Geographically speaking, in Africa there are 1.321 Jesuits (698 priests, 139 brothers, 484 scholastics); in America Latin 3.017 (1.988 priests, 366 brothers 663 scholastics); in North America 3.217 (2.685 priests, 186 brothers, 346 scholastics); Southern Asia 4.003 (2.309 priests, 287 brothers, 1.407 scholastics); in East Asia- Oceania 1.653 (1.162 priests, 113 brothers, 378 scholastics); in central Europe 773 (641 priests, 69 brothers, 63 students); in southern Europe 2.586 (1.874 priests, 503 religious, 209 scholastics); in western Europe 2.125 (1.800 priests, 163 brothers, 162 scholastics); in eastern Europe 1.155 (809 priests, 128 brothers, 218 scholastics).
With regard to the 512 new arrivals, most are registered in Asia-Oceania (221), followed by America (155), Europe (83) and Africa (53). A greater part of the universal mission entrusted to the Society is undertaken by the Roman Houses directly dependent on the Father General (Jesuit Curia, Gregorian University, Istituto Biblico, Istituto Orientale, Osservatorio Vaticano, Vatican Radio, "La Civiltà Cattolica", other residences and formation houses). In 2004-2005 the members of these houses who remain members of their province are 458 (2 cardinals, 390 priests, 32 scholastics and 34 brothers) and 118 are students. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 31/3/2005; Righe 24; Parole 315)