Compared to other Asian countries, the Philippines is still better off when it comes to priestly vocations.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo said unlike its Asian counterparts the number of priestly vocations in the country is still fairly good as it can even export its priests to other countries.

“We have a good number of priests who go abroad because bishops in Europe and in the US are asking for priests from us,” he said in a press briefing yesterday at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Paco, Manila, where the 9th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences
(FABC) is being held.

“A great number of religious sisters also go to Africa, South America, Europe, and US. We export vocation,” added the FABC secretary general.

Unlike in the Philippines, the number of vocations in India is dwindling as admitted by Cardinal Oswald Gracias.

“The number of vocations…it’s going down,” Gracias said.

The Cardinal attributed the decrease to the secularization of the society.

But although vocations in Hong Kong are flourishing, Bishop John Tong said it’s still far from ideal.

“We have a flourishing number of vocations in Hong Kong. Last year only 10 in a seminary after summer the situation improved it became 15. Altogether it’s still far from ideal. We need your prayers,” Tong said.

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Pakistan, for his part, blamed poverty in their country for the low priestly vocation.