How Church in Burundi is Handling Rapid Growth in Priestly, Religious Vocations

“In recent years, Burundi has experienced a boom in vocations to the consecrated life and the priesthood, so there is a large number of applications to enter the seminaries, this number is increasing year after year. However, due to the poor economic situation, the seminaries cannot accept all the candidates, so the number of new applicants is limited to thirteen,” Maxime François-Marsal, ACN's project manager for the French-speaking countries of Central Africa said in the July 24 report.

Fr. Pascal attributes the boom to the deep-rootedness of Catholicism in Burundi, as well as the respect that the Catholic Church is accorded in the country.

The Catholic Church is the dominant religion in the Eastern African country, Fr. Pascal says, and adds, “Catholics represent two thirds of all Christians in the country. Catholic bishops are generally respected by all sections of the population.”

Fr. Pascal says that most priestly vocations in Burundi are born and raised in Christian families who strive to live their faith on a daily basis. 

Growth of vocations in Burundi, he says, is linked to the reality of families, who he says “are still experiencing the beauty and flavor of the Christian faith.”

Progress in Burundi’s education sector is also behind the growth of the country’s vocations, Fr. Pascal says, and explains, “At present, the number of these schools has increased considerably compared to previous years, which means that there are also many graduates capable of pursuing university studies and therefore able to apply for priestly and consecrated life training.”

According to the Priest, the presence of the Catholic Church in schools in Burundi, made possible by the ministry of Catholic chaplains in the education sector, is also a key factor behind the growth of priestly and religious vocations in the country.

The Catholic Priest differs with analysts who say that it is poverty in Burundi that is pushing many young people to join the seminaries. He says, “Maybe it is for some. But I think most of these vocations are born out of the enthusiasm of young people to share the good of the faith with others.”

“Even though the majority of the Burundian population lives in poverty, it's not only the children of the poor who decide to consecrate themselves to God; there are also candidates for the priestly and consecrated life among young people from wealthy families,” says Fr. Pascal.

Given that vocations are declining elsewhere, especially in the Western world, the rapid growth in vocations in Africa, especially in Burundi, shines hope for the Church in its entirety.

“Burundi, for the Mother Church? Is there hope? In what way?” he poses, and explains, “For Burundi, this growth in vocations means that the Church of Christ there has already reached a certain maturity in the faith. For the mother Church, this growth is a sign of hope. And since the Church is one and every vocation is essentially missionary, local Churches suffering from a vocations crisis could benefit from it, provided they are receptive to these African vocations, and specifically to those from Burundi.”

Fr. Pascal appeals to “Churches that are now in a good economic position” to support the growth of vocations in Burundi for the good of the “universality of the Church”. 

“As we know, priestly and religious vocations, if they are genuine, are a gift not only for the local Church but for the Church as a whole. Even if they emerge from Burundi, they could be of noble service in mission lands and in countries of ancient Christianity where the sense of the sacred is increasingly lost,” the Priest says.

He adds, “The Church, in its universality, should continue to help the Church of Burundi with all kinds of means in the work of discerning and accompanying vocations, so that genuine vocations are truly profitable.”

“In order to create conditions that make it possible to welcome and train a greater number of the best candidates, the Churches that are now in a good economic position should feel called to collaborate with the Church of Burundi in the training of candidates for the priestly and consecrated life. Indeed, the Church is one and is a mystery of communion,” he says. 

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Meanwhile, Fr. Pascal has lauded the vibrancy of Christianity in Burundi, noting that Burundians are “naturally religious.”

“Burundians of different faiths are fervent in participating in worship,” he says, adding that people of various faiths in the country also take part in contributing to build their places of worship.

However, the Catholic Church faces the challenge of the proliferation of sects that, according to Fr. Pascal, end up confusing the people's minds.

The priest also highlights poverty as the main challenge that pastoral caregivers face in Burundi where there is a huge gap between a handful of rich people and a large mass of poor people.

Other challenges include the high unemployment rate among young people, as well as the challenge of globalization which according to Fr. Pascal, sometimes brings in mentalities that are contrary to Christian values.