主題：回應聖召
跟隨著時代的步伐，天主教香港教區也有運用互聯網，以中文及英文，向世界展示香港教區的現況。可喜的是，2017年換了一個在視覺上比以前更吸引的版面，值得大家細心瀏覽。當中，我找到一些有意義的教務統計數字，這些數字是以每年八月三十一日為準的。
首先，截至去年八月三十一日，香港永久居民當中，約有389,000教友，非永久居民的，約有202,000教友，分佈在港九新界52個堂區之中。他們由4位主教管理，288位神父及29位執事牧養。執事之中，4位是過渡性執事，如無意外，在未來一兩年內晉鐸。聖神修院提供的七年神父培育課程，目前有24位修生供讀，計香港教區5位，其中兩位是來自本堂區的！所以湯漢樞機將會在五月廿一日，蒞臨本堂主持聖召彌撒。其他教區有2位，修會有17位。即是說，全港591,000教友，由321位神職人員牧養，平均每位神職人員要照顧1,840人。倘若神職人員每天工作8小時，每月工作26天的話，每位教友祗分到每個月約7分鐘的靈性照顧！老實說，每個月得7分鐘的照顧，又怎樣做到耶穌基督的要求，「他按著名字呼喚自己的羊」（若10:3）呢？又如何帶領羊群「找著草場」（10:9）呢？
近年來，香港教區每年復活節前夕約有3,000人領洗，但全年領洗的總人數，卻是多達6,600人。倘若每年以這個數字增長，未來七年，將有46,200人加入教會。即使全數24位修生可以晉鐸，亦祗照顧到44,200人。況且，今年已有好幾位神父相繼去世。上述的統計數字，並沒有披露神職人員的平均年齡！所以，香港教區所面臨的教務困難，可想而知。神職人員的聖召對香港教區，顯得非常重要。
這些數字讓我聯想起近來公演的一齣宗教電影【沉默】的一些劇情。十七世紀的日本天主教徒遇上教難，沒有神職人員為他們主持彌撒，聽告解。在這段艱難的歲月中，他們祗能施行洗禮、祈禱、唱聖詠和把教義口耳相傳，直到有耶穌會的神父偷渡來到。他們將那份久旱逢甘露的喜樂，表露無遺，令觀眾感動，刺激天主教徒反省自己的幸福。但幸福不是必然的。因為當權者可以出於自私，以暴力剝削千千萬萬天主教徒敬拜天主的權利，以酷刑對待教友，逼使神父背教，以消滅基督宗教對日本、對自己的國家的影響，斷絕教友的靈性生命。最諷刺的，就是對天主教會進行迫害的日本官員，竟是曾接受天主教神父一手教育出來的學生。他們憑天主教教育飛黃騰達，卻反過來鏟除天主教在日本生長的根。不要以為這是四百年前日本的事，其實今天我們正捱受類似的教難。這要由在香港辦學的修會學校說起。它們在十九世紀中開始來港服務，為香港社會訓練出優秀的中產階級，貢獻了香港社會。可惜，很少甚至沒有學生回應聖召，加入培育他們的修會團體。他們辦學成功，卻沒有為修會帶來聖召，以到今天不少修會學校，要由平信徒，甚至不是基督徒，擔任校長一職，真教人唏噓不已。
其實，當權者的自私，固然造成教會的迫害。可是，教友本身為了自己著想，何嘗不會造成對教會另類的迫害呢？
我個人認為，不是天主的沉默，也不是社會的富裕，令聖召不振。問題的核心在於青年人對天主的信德不足。在今天的社會，大多數的家庭是「核心家庭」，夫妻倆育有一至兩個孩子，甚至不生育。另一方面，青年人目睹香港人口老化加劇，供養父母，以盡孝道，祗能落在一兩個兄弟姊妹身上。這樣沉重的壓力，叫他們何來信心回應聖召呢？這是信心的問題，因為在理智上，我們肯定天主上智的安排，一定比我們個人有限能力的安排更妥善。但我們仍不放心，仍把持著想自己親自照顧年邁的雙親。這份情意結，若沒有天主特別的護祐，的確不易克服。
各位兄弟姊妹，今天是「善牧主日」，又是「聖召主日」。讓我們向耶穌基督祈求，賜予青年人更大的信心，把自己託付在天父的旨意中，使天主的羊，找到草場，健壯成長。
天主保祐！
以上的數字，我是刻意沒有提到修女的，以突顯出每個月7分鐘靈性照顧的不足。倘若香港沒有了修女，香港教區的教務不可能有今天的成績。可幸香港有469位修女，分擔了321位神職人員的其他工作，纔能維持到今天的服務。因此，修女的聖召，對香港教區同樣重要。（http://catholic.org.hk/香港教區教務統計-2/）
是甚麼因素，導到今天聖召不振呢？是天主沒有向青年人招手嗎？這是沒有可能的。如果天主沒有停止聖召，又是甚麼因素，令青年男女不回應天主的呼召呢？是富裕的生活嗎？文天祥的【正氣歌】有云：「時窮節乃現，一一垂丹青。」莫非在經濟貧乏，甚至遇上教難時，纔會有蓬勃的聖召嗎？
Fourth Easter Sunday (Year A)
Theme: To Answer God's Call
Following the footstep of this generation, the Catholic Hong Kong Diocese makes use of the Internet to display the present situation of the Diocese both in Chinese and English. In 2017, it is delightful to see a facelift of the official webpage and is worth browsing. There, I unearth some meaningful statistics of the Diocese as of August 31, 2016.
First of all, among the local residents, the Catholic population was about 389,000. Amongst the non-residents, it was about 202,000. They live among 52 parishes, are governed by 4 bishops, taken care of by 288 priests and 29 deacons. Among the deacons, 4 are transitory. They are expected to be ordained within one to two years. The Holy Spirit Seminary offers a 7-year priestly formation program which is attended by 24 seminarians. 5 of them came from the Hong Kong Diocese. Amongst the five, two came from our Parish. That is why His Excellency Cardinal John Tong will come to celebrate a Vocation Mass on May 21. The rest of the seminarians came from other dioceses and religious orders. In short, 321 clergy take care of 591,000 parishioners. That is 1,840 parishioners per clergy. If each clergy works 8 hours a day, 26 days a month, each parishioner can share 7 minutes of spiritual care per month! Frankly speaking, how can 7 minutes per month meet Jesus' demand to "call his own sheep by name" (John 10:3)? And how can the clergy lead the parishioners out to "find pasture" (10:9)?
In recent years, about 3,000 people were baptized each year during Easter Vigil. But actually, the total number of people baptized throughout the year was 6,600. If the figure continues in the next 7 years, some 46,200 people will be baptized into the Church. Even if all 24 seminarians were ordained, they would only take care of 44,200 parishioners. Worse still, a few priests have recently passed away. The figures above did not reveal the average age of the clergy! Thus, one can imagine the acuteness of the problem. Priestly vocation is obviously very essential for the Hong Kong Diocese.
These numbers remind me of the story of a recently released religious movie, SILENCE. The Japanese Catholics in the 17th Century suffered persecution. There was no priest to celebrate mass or hear confession for them. In these difficult times, they could only baptize, pray, sing hymns and pass on their faith orally until some Jesuits illegally landed. The joy, which was like receiving rain during an extended drought, was touching and stimulated Catholic viewers to reflect on the freedom they have been enjoying. But we cannot take freedom for granted. Out of selfishness, people in power would violently deprive tens of thousands of Catholics of their rights to worship God. They would torture the laity to force the priests to apostate. The irony was that these mandarins were taught by Catholic priests. They flew high with the Catholic education they had received and yet turned around to bite the hands that fed them. Do not think that it happened only in Japan 400 years ago. Today, we are suffering from a similar persecution. The story began with religious schools offering Catholic education to Hong Kong beginning in mid-19th century. They successfully bred an outstanding middle class, contributing to the prosperity of Hong Kong. Sadly, very few and even none of their students responded to vocation to join the religious orders that had reared them. These religious orders had been successful in running schools but had failed to cultivate vocation. Today, it is sad to see some of their schools headed by laity or even non-Catholic principals!
The selfishness of people in power could cause the persecution of the Church. However, when the laity thinks too much for themselves, would it not be another form of persecution?
Personally, I think that it is neither the silence of God nor the affluence of a society that smothers vocation. Rather the lack of faith among young people is the gist of the problem. Nowadays many families are nuclear. Couples raise one or two children and some even none. On the other hand, young people see the rapid ageing of the population. The burden to support aged parents falls on the shoulders of one or two siblings. With such a heavy burden, where comes the faith to answer vocation? It is a crisis of faith because in our mind, we are sure that God's superb arrangement far surpasses our arrangements with limited capabilities. But we still cannot let go. We insist on taking care of our aged parents with our pair of hands. Indeed, this psychological complex cannot be easily overcome without God's special blessing.
Brethren, today is the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. It is also the Vocation Sunday. Let us pray to Jesus Christ to give young people a greater faith. Submit themselves to the will of God so that God's sheep may find the pasture and grow strong.
I deliberately withheld the number of nuns to highlight the insufficiency of spiritual care of 7 minutes per month. If there were no nuns in Hong Kong, the Diocese would not have functioned properly. Luckily, there are 469 nuns sharing the other works of the 321 clergy to maintain the ministry today. Thus, vocation for consecrated life is as important for the Catholic Hong Kong Diocese. (http://catholic.org.hk/en/香港教區教務統計-2/)
What causes the withering of vocation? Does God stop calling young people? That is impossible. If God does not stop calling, what other factors prevent young people from answering God's call? Is it affluence? There is such a line in a Chinese poem, "Guts manifest in tribulations. History remembers their names." Do we need an economic recession or a religious persecution to boost vocation?
God bless!
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