(Bishop of Johannesburg, South Africa)
Vocations to the priesthood and religious life from African families require a huge sacrifice on the part of such families especially when the families are poverty stricken. The loss of a son or a daughter means, in many cases, the loss of a bread-winner or other support.
The family in many cases do not fully understand that the child given to the Church usually means that they can no longer rely on support — especially monetary support from that child. Many priests, religious and even Bishops cannot rid themselves of the conviction that they retain responsibility for support of the family. This can even be the cause of stress and anxiety. The Church in African must give untired attention to this issue.
Original text: English
