From: elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us (Edward J. Branley)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: priest shortage
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 06:20:54 CST
Organization: Minas Tirith BBS (Public Access Usenet for New Orleans)

"Gordon C. Zaft" <zaft@CARITAS.COTDAZR.ORG> writes:

> On Nov 18,  7:20am, "Edward J. Branley" wrote:
> } Subject: Priest shortage...
> } This weeks _Time_ magazine cover story, entitled "The Second Reformation,"
> } quite informative.  What struck me as particularly interesting were some
> } statistics concerning the number of male priests in this country.  The arti
> }
>         I thought the headline was a bit much, to compare the current
> situation with the Protestant revolt.  However, the articles were not
> too bad.

The major changes in the Church have been bottom-up, not top-down.  I think
_Time_ may be credited in the future with being the first to recognize such a
major change.

> } Now, the debate over the ordination of women aside, it seems to me that the
> } Vatican and the American bishops should wake up and realize that just how m
> } of a problem situation we have here.  Is anyone aware of any research which
>  has
> } been done to try to figure out just why the major decline in the number of
> } priests?  Of course, instinct tells me that the celibacy requirement is
> } probably the number one factor, but I'm wondering if there have been any re
> } studies on this.
>
>         Think for a minute.  If there has been a decline in vocations where
> there previously was at least adequacy, it's smart to look at what has
> changed that might have caused it.  Since the celibacy requirement has
> not changed, it does not make sense to claim that it's the root of the
> problem.

Gee, Gordon, I said my instinct tells me to look at celibacy.  I asked if
anyone knew of any definitive research on this issue.  Do you have anything
else other than a knee-jerk reaction to contribute?

You'd have to go back to the sixties to find a time where the numbers of
priests can be described as adequate.  We've been at bare minimum or worse
since the '70s.  I don't think the parishoners in the almost 300 parishes where
there is no regular priest share your definition of adequacy.

My data on celibacy being a factor in the decline of vocations is purely
anecdotal, which is one of the reasons I'm curious about research.  However,
*every* priest or brother I know that has asked to be released from his vows
got married within a year of leaving religious life.  I may be off on this, but
I don't think so.


> }
> } While the debate over women in the priesthood should continue, it's obvious
> } that it probably won't be resolved in the RCC by the end of the century.  T
> } being the case, we need to initiate some drastic actions to increase the ca
> } to vocations.  If women are administrators in 200+ parishes, the problem of
>
>         Hmm.  Well, I don't know about your parish, but most of the parishes
> I have attended lately pray regularly for an increase in vocations (as to
> I).

Yes, we do.  Of course, I'm a big believer that God works through mortal
agents, one of which could be a policy change on who can be ordained.

>
>         Since the Anglicans are making themselves available as guinea
> pigs, we can use them to see what happens to their numbers of priests.
> In any case, if celibacy were really the problem then the Anglicans
> AND the Orthodox shouldn't have a problem.  I don't know about the
> Anglicans, but I believe the Orthodox are in the same boat as the RCC.
>

Why is that necessary?  I'm quite sure that the various dioceses in this
country do 'exit interviews' with priests who ask to be released from their
vows.  Seems to me a study of those records, along with interviewing priests
who are currently considering leaving could establish some trends directly in
the RCC, rather than using another denomination as a laboratory.  Besides,
there are factors that make both the Anglicans and the Orthodox bad
comparisons.  Anglicans in this country have been ordaining women for a while,
which, for better or worse would skew any observations.  The Orthodox Church in
this country is so much smaller than the RCC that I can't see where we could
look at it for definitive answers.




|Edward J. Branley         elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us|
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