Salesians to Overtake Jesuits as Largest Male Religious Institute

The Salesians of Don Bosco are poised to surpass the Society of Jesus as the Church’s largest male religious institute, according to CatholicCulture.org on December 23, citing statistics from the Vatican’s Annuario Pontificio.
The Jesuits, founded by Ignatius of Loyola and approved in 1540, currently number 13,768 members, 9,978 of whom are priests. This represents a steep decline from 36,000 members in 1965 and 14,839 in 2020.
The Salesians, founded by Don Giovanni Bosco and approved in 1874, number 13,694 members, including 9,294 priests. This figure is down from more than 18,000 members in 2001, but slightly up from 13,606 in 2021.
Both religious orders are now marked by significant secularisation and aging within their ranks. Many of their members hide behind civilian clothes.
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