Cardinal Rodé Denounced Climate of Secularization Among Religious

“The evil of secularism affects also communities of consecrated persons,” declared Cardinal Franc Rodé, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, during an interview on Radio Vatican on the occasion of the 12th Day of Consecrated Life on February 2.
Among the “signs of this secularization”, the cardinal noted “a certain laxity in daily life and in the language which is becoming more secular than religious,” but also “the curtailment of the time devoted to prayer and to the acts of community life, the loss of visibility and consecration, the discarding of the religious habit, an ever more pronounced orientation towards social and humanitarian actions to the detriment of evangelization.”
In an interview granted to the Italian press agency Ansa in mid-February, Cardinal Rodé returned to the subject deploring in no roundabout way “the climate of secularization present not only in all of Western society, but also within the very bosom of the Church.” The Sloven prelate, a Lazarist religious, pointed out again the “signs” of the secularization: “a liberty without obligation, a poor sense of the family, a worldly spirit, an insufficient visibility of the religious habit, prayer being underrated, insufficient community life and obedience.” “The adoption of a middle-class outlook and moral relativism are the two great dangers which weaken religious life.”
Concerning vocations, on the airwaves of Radio Vatican, Cardinal Rodé spoke of a “very much diversified” situation. “If we consider Western Europe and Northern America, we can say that they are going through a real religious vocations crisis.” “On the other hand, Latin America enjoys a certain stability in men as well as in women congregations,” he added. In Africa, “there are lots of vocations but they need a good formation,” continued Cardinal Rodé. “Asia surprises us most.” “In some Asian countries, like Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, India, and also China, even if we receive scant news from this great nation, we see an eff