What We Continue to Bleed

We are basically losing a great many Catholic personages before they are born. God in his Foreknowledge knows exactly what they were to become, as part of his loving Plan (cf. Romans 12:3–8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1–31, RSVCE).

Just in the religious world:

Canonised Saints

Beatified souls

Friends of God

Popes

Cardinals

Seers

Doctors of the Church

Priest-religious

Consecrated Brothers

Consecrated Sisters

Missionaries

Common members of the flock (rams, ewes and lambs that we are)

Bishops

Secular (diocesan) priests

Deacons

Acolytes (altar servers)

Mystics

Prophets

Visionaries

Holy martyrs

Intercessors

Healers

Disabled, sick and bed-ridden souls having the gifts of suffering, prayer and contemplation

Elderly souls with their life wisdom

Mature souls with their strength

Youths with their energy and vivacity

Little children with their sweetness and purity

Founders and superiors of religious institutes

Catechists

Teachers

Academics and scholars

Experts in languages, scriptural texts and historical linguistics

Authors of edifying spiritual works

Religious artists and artisans

Musicians and composers

Architects of sacred buildings

Workers of great projects

Participants in all positions in society

Ordinary people, beloved of God

This is in light of Catholic mothers aborting in similar colossal numbers to non-religious mothers (see Catholics for Choice).

The loss of countless personages such as these is a great wounding of and bloodletting from the Church. By it, She is weakened and her effectiveness is reduced. We needed every one of these souls. We would have been able to help each other go to God. But they are gone away from us now. We are left, to struggle forward in our pitiful state—perhaps half-dead but far from lifeless—while in every moment we cast our weak and sinful selves into the endless Abyss of the divine Mercy. This is our best hope, and the hope of the whole world.