The numbers tell the story in England:

Although there was a modest recovery last year, when the numbers rose to 18, insiders concede that it was probably a blip, rather than any upsurge, following the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Vocations to monastic orders fell from 107 in 1982 to 52 in 1990 and to 20 in 2000. The total number of monks in England and Wales stands at 1,345, many of whom are in their sixties and seventies.

The news is no better for nuns, who have experienced a parallel decline and now total 1,150.

In 1982, 100 women entered convents, 50 of them into enclosed orders, but by 2000 the number had declined to 22 and in 2004 it was just seven. Last year saw a slight increase to 13.