There are thirty-five religious orders of priests in India. Jesuits are primarily teachers, Dominicans are preachers, Franciscans lay stress on a life of poverty and simplicity and Redemptorists specialise in preaching retreats. Catholic schools and colleges are run by religious orders of priests and nuns. There are 5,789 priests in India, the majority being from rural backgrounds.
Religious priests have no personal allowance. All their expenses are provided by the Order to which they belong. There are over several thousand (religious) priests in India and more than sixty-five seminaries where training is imparted. Some of them live in cloisters and are called monks. In India there are three contemplative orders of monks -- the Benedictine, Augustinians and Norbertines.
Both the Catholic as also the Protestant Church are entirely dependent on donations, monthly subscriptions and the offerings on Sunday mass or service. Sometimes there is income from lands and estates.
All Roman Catholic priests are celibates, though the Vatican Council has declared that it is not an absolute necessity. Nevertheless the law of celibacy has not been abrogated by the Roman Catholic Church.
Fasting is an important part of the religious life of the priest and five fasts are undertaken during the year - at Christmas, Repentance, Lent, Apostles` fast and Assumption of Mary.
