What to Do About the Priest Shortage

The Pope opposes liberalizing the rules, but most Catholics disagree

April 18, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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A priest blesses a boy as he prepares to receive communion during the Papal mass in DC.

One potential source of alleviation, however small, may come from foreign immigrants, who are replenishing the ranks of American Catholics in large numbers. As recently as the late 1990s, nearly 20 percent of priests in the United States were foreign born, and for them the cultural barriers to entering the priesthood might arguably be lower than for Americans. (Worldwide, the total number of priests has grown slightly in recent decades, from about 403,000 in 1990 to about 406,000 in 2005, even as specific regions, such as western Europe, are experiencing crunches like the one in the United States.)

Conservative Catholics have argued that the vocation, if it is to continue to attract qualified candidates, must remain privileged, special, and distinct—in the same way that the selective Marine Corps ("the few, the proud") pitches itself to secular America. The pope, for his part, seems to view the priest issue as a conceptual matter rather than as something requiring practical remedies. As he said in 1997: "The first question...is: Are there true believers? And only then comes the second question: Are priests coming from them?"

Tags:: Christianity,; Pope Benedict XVI,; religion

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it is a good realization but a cording to my experience in my vocation to religious life is all about business and full of politics. if one has no professional a cording to the Congregational need you have no vocation. so different from Jesus' way he called tax collectors and fishermen and and all had vocation.He maintained all to the end.
what is happening to day? people are making GOD' will to there will. who have granted you a divine power to real declare that has no vocation in religious life?
I HAD BEEN RELIGIOUS IN THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD (SFIC)FOR 5 YEARS IN MY SIMPLE PROFESSION OF VOWS SINCE 2004 DEC,8 TO 2009 NOV. 8, WITH NO GOOD REASON I WAS TOLD I HAVE NO VOCATION TO BE A SISTER. NEXT THING WAS BACK UP GO HOME,DURING THIS TIME I WAS PURSUING MY IN TANGAZA COLLEGE THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRCA. IN NAIROBI KENYA A DEPLOMA IN SCIENCE IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. THE CONGREGATION STOPED PAYING MY COLLEGE FEE AND UP KEEP. ALL THIS HAS BEEN MY STRUGGLE HOW TO GET BACK TO THE COLLEGE. I COULD NOT MAKE IT BY MYSELF. MY PARENTS ARE PEASANT FARMER .I HAVE TRIED TO RAISE FUNDS THOUGH I DID NOT MEET THE TARGET OF MY COLLEGE FEE TO COME BACK TO THE COLLEGE.
PER SEMESTER I AM NEEDED TO PAY 95,000 KENYAN MONEY. MY DREAMS ARE CUT SHORT. IF FUNDS AVAILS FOR ME I WILL WISH TO FINISH BACHELOR OF ART(BA)
I AM STILL LOOKING FOR WELL WISHES TO SUPPORT ME.
MY STUDIES HAVE COST MY VOCATION. FOR ME I FEEL I HAVE VOCATION AND AFTER MY STUDIES I WISH TO SERVE GOD AS A RELIGIOUS SISTER.IN HIS POOR PEOPLE.
CURRENTLY I AM LOOKING FOR WELL WISHERS AND ALSO AT THE LOOKING FOR THE CONGREGATION THAT IS READY TO ADMITTE SOME ONE WHO HAS BEEN DISMISSED FROM ANOTHER CONGREGATION. BESIDE THAT I WISH TO JOIN HAND TOGETHER WITH WOMEN OF THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND GROW AS A CONGREGATION TO BRING HOPE TO LADIES AND PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY.
I AM FROM KURIA DISTRICT,KEHANCHA PARISH, HOMABAY DIOCESE ARCH DIOCESE OF KISUMU .KENYA EASTERN AFRICA
ADVISE CONGREGATIONS THAT IF THEY WANT MORE VOCATION. THEY SHOULD LET VOCATION BE VOCATION NOT BUSINESS AND POLITICS.
GOD CALLS AND GRANT GRACE NOT ACCORDING TO MAN .

MARTHA ROBI NGERA 4:49AM October 09, 2010

it is a good realization but a cording to my experience in my vocation to religious life is all about business and full of politics. if one has no professional a cording to the Congregational need you have no vocation. so different from Jesus' way he called tax collectors and fishermen and and all had vocation.He maintained all to the end.
what is happening to day? people are making GOD' will to there will. who have granted you a divine power to real declare that has no vocation in religious life?
I HAD BEEN RELIGIOUS IN THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD (SFIC)FOR 5 YEARS IN MY SIMPLE PROFESSION OF VOWS SINCE 2004 DEC,8 TO 2009 NOV. 8, WITH NO GOOD REASON I WAS TOLD I HAVE NO VOCATION TO BE A SISTER. NEXT THING WAS BACK UP GO HOME,DURING THIS TIME I WAS PURSUING MY IN TANGAZA COLLEGE THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRCA. IN NAIROBI KENYA A DEPLOMA IN SCIENCE IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. THE CONGREGATION STOPED PAYING MY COLLEGE FEE AND UP KEEP. ALL THIS HAS BEEN MY STRUGGLE HOW TO GET BACK TO THE COLLEGE. I COULD NOT MAKE IT BY MYSELF. MY PARENTS ARE PEASANT FARMER .I HAVE TRIED TO RAISE FUNDS THOUGH I DID NOT MEET THE TARGET OF MY COLLEGE FEE TO COME BACK TO THE COLLEGE.
PER SEMESTER I AM NEEDED TO PAY 95,000 KENYAN MONEY. MY DREAMS ARE CUT SHORT. IF FUNDS AVAILS FOR ME I WILL WISH TO FINISH BACHELOR OF ART(BA)
I AM STILL LOOKING FOR WELL WISHES TO SUPPORT ME.
MY STUDIES HAVE COST MY VOCATION. FOR ME I FEEL I HAVE VOCATION AND AFTER MY STUDIES I WISH TO SERVE GOD AS A RELIGIOUS SISTER.IN HIS POOR PEOPLE.
CURRENTLY I AM LOOKING FOR WELL WISHERS AND ALSO AT THE LOOKING FOR THE CONGREGATION THAT IS READY TO ADMITTE SOME ONE WHO HAS BEEN DISMISSED FROM ANOTHER CONGREGATION. BESIDE THAT I WISH TO JOIN HAND TOGETHER WITH WOMEN OF THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND GROW AS A CONGREGATION TO BRING HOPE TO LADIES AND PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY.
I AM FROM KURIA DISTRICT,KEHANCHA PARISH, HOMABAY DIOCESE ARCH DIOCESE OF KISUMU .KENYA EASTERN AFRICA
ADVISE CONGREGATIONS THAT IF THEY WANT MORE VOCATION. THEY SHOULD LET VOCATION BE VOCATION NOT BUSINESS AND POLITICS.
GOD CALLS AND GRANT GRACE NOT ACCORDING TO MAN .

MARTHA ROBI NGERA 4:46AM October 09, 2010

While one see the data of Western countries, one may find that there are number of permanent deacons. I ponder why they cannot be ordained as priests but perhaps law of celibacy impedes it. The older people who have all the qualities can be selected for priesthood even if they are married but well settled and have no family responsibilities. In India the concept of having permanent deacons and acolyte is yet to be implemented. India is a big potential for priesthood but there is no proper promotion of priesthood. There are many willing priests who may like to work in other countries but their bishops are unwilling to leave them. It is right time that the issue of shortage of priests has to be discussed with bishops and laity and find a solution and if there is need have some change the concept of celibacy. Afterall once a person has reached certain age, the sex has no relevance for many/

anil p of IN 6:25AM March 10, 2010

What to Do About the Priest Shortage

The Pope opposes liberalizing the rules, but most Catholics disagree

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The Pope opposes liberalizing the rules, but most Catholics disagree

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