End the bottleneck to grace: An alternative way in which to form and deploy new priests

[Duesenberg]

In the most basic sense what is keeping the Catholic Church from attracting and retaining more souls?

It’s not the Internet, video games, drugs, porn, competition from competing faiths, etc., etc. These things are merely attempts by some use to fill the spiritual vacancies in their lives

In the most basic sense, it’s reduced exposure to the grace which flows from the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

What has reduced the faithful’s exposure to these two vital sacraments? Without a doubt it’s the greatly reduced number of available priests which now minister within the Catholic Church.

There has been much written over the past few decades on how to solve this “crisis of priestly vocations.” Most agree that God continues to give male members of the Church a more than adequate number of vocations to the priesthood. So what’s the problem?

The world has changed and the Church has been slow to adapt. Just as Pope Paul III began the cause of clerical reform in the Church in AD 1536 – which ultimately led to the continued development and mandatory use of the seminary system in the West following the Council of Trent, additional reforms are needed today in AD 2017.

What if we considered a solution to this problem that was not constrained by man-made disciplines and generations of historical constraints? What if the Church considered an alternative process in which to form a great many (and not just incrementally more) new priests and news ways in which to deploy them into society?

Let’s consider the latter first. How about a high school teacher or college professor who is also a Catholic priest, able to offer the Mass (sometimes in Latin!) and hear confessions before or after classes each day? How about an electrical engineer/Catholic priest who works for a private company located in the huge business park on the outskirts of town who is able to offer early morning, noontime and/or after work Masses for those employed by businesses in the park?

How about a security supervisor/Catholic priest who offers Mass and hears confessions of mall employees every morning before the mall opens to the public? Or maybe it’s the harvest supervisor/Catholic priest who is able to minister to those he supervises to pick crops, before and after work? Or the youth football and baseball coach/Catholic priest who ministers to his players as time permits?

continued…

 

[Duesenberg]

Now consider for a moment how these same men could hear confessions and celebrate the Mass on Sundays in storefront “churches”, community centers, middle school gyms and yes, existing Catholic parishes located in the actual neighborhoods of the faithful. Might this all help to attract/retain members of the Church? Of course it would. But it would take a great many more priests, and a fresh way of thinking about priests and the sacraments.

I think the Church needs to formally consider an organizational addition. Like the US Military it was its commissioned officers (priests) – including its flag officers (bishops), its non-commissioned officers (permanent deacons) and its enlisted members (the laity.) What it’s missing is a legion of warrant officers (a new brand of priest to augment its existing priests.)

The vocation for this new brand of priest would be focused on making the sacraments more widely available to the faithful. It would not be on parish administration which already seems to consume an inordinate amount of priestly resources. Great emphasis would be placed on the initial selection process of candidates. Aspirants could be either married (must be married prior to ordination) or chaste and would not be eligible to become prelates of the Church.

These new brand priests would not be formed by the collegiate in-residence study of philosophy and 4+ years of in-residence seminary. They would be formed in parishes/deaneries through extended apprenticeships, directed self-study and/or approved online formation coursework and diocesan seminars, along with spiritual direction. Far different than the process used today, but potentially every bit as effective – even more so depending on the individual situation.

As with anything new there would be resistance to such an initiative. Given the huge number of permanent deacons (yes, an entirely different vocation!) in the US (by far the world’s leader in permanent deacons), there’s little doubt however that there would be an abundance of eligible aspirants – at least in the US.

Such an initiative would no doubt have an impact on the existing priestly formation process and the number of men willing to live their lives as celibate priestly servants of the Church. Then again, this would ultimately boil down to a matter of leadership, just as it does today.

It would be nice if the Church would actually embrace dialogue at the highest levels that could lead to vastly more well-formed priests. A true paradigm shift! Priests deployed in a manner focused on bringing grace to the faithful! This time may still be well into the future, but I have no doubt that it will arrive at some point, thanks be to God.

 

[otjm]

What is first and foremost in the matter of encouraging vocations is prayer. More people praying more for vocations.

And it would not hurt for more parishes to start Adoration - part time, or perpetual.

My parish has had perpetual Adoration for something like 25 years.

3 priests, 2 deacons, and 2 women who have joined orders, and one seminarian in Theology.

 

[Duesenberg]

What is first and foremost in the matter of encouraging vocations is prayer. More people praying more for vocations.

So? That shouldn’t preclude other efforts to encourage men to discern if they have a vocation to the priesthood and to act on it if they do.

Sadly, while I think he would like to do something generally along the line of what I outlined, (*) I think Pope Francis is too controversial to actually act on it. It would have been great had Pope Benedict XVI done something like this. No one would have questioned its appropriateness, even though Francis is probably overall liked more than Benedict XVI.

(*) “…So I then told the priests: ‘If you can, rent a garage and, if you find some willing layman, let him go there! Let him be with those people a bit, do a little catechesis and even give communion if they ask him.’ A parish priest said to me: ‘But Father, if we do this the people then won’t come to Church.’ ‘But why?’ I asked him: ‘Do they come to Mass now?’ ‘No,’ he answered. And so! Coming out of oneself is also coming out from the fenced garden of one’s own convictions, considered irremovable, if they risk becoming an obstacle, if they close the horizon that is also of God…” – Jorge Cardinale Bergoglio (Pope Francis), 2005.

 

[AdamP88]

I think what you suggest would probably drive diocesan vocations down. Men don’t enter the priesthood to be harvest supervisors or security managers. The priesthood is attractive to men precisely because it is a radical way of life that involves a gift of your entire self to the service of the Church. That’s what was attractive to me when I tried it out. It’s still attractive to me but obviously I decided that married life was a better fit. But I know the friends I have who are priests also think the same.

The problem is that a priest is not an evening job. Putting a priest to work in a job would only lead to him being overworked. As well, I think this would lead to more men looking at religious orders rather than seminaries.

 

[Duesenberg]

I think what you suggest would probably drive diocesan vocations down.

To the celibate clergy formed in seminaries. Yes, that’s quite possible. The total number of priests however would grow profoundly. Not just incremental growth. Profound growth.

Men don’t enter the priesthood to be harvest supervisors or security managers.

No, no, please don’t spin things around. That’s profoundly bad form… I suspect there are a fair number of qualified men (of all sorts of professions and vocations) that would show great interest in what I outlined.

The priesthood is attractive to men precisely because it is a radical way of life that involves a gift of your entire self to the service of the Church.

To some of the very limited number of men who actually actually receive the gift of a priestly vocation from God. To suggest (and even encourage) permanent deacons can serve as the do both in the world and in the Church and that a priest cannot is simply absurd.

That’s what was attractive to me when I tried it out. It’s still attractive to me

Yes, to you.

The problem is that a priest is not an evening job.

I never suggested it was ANY kind of “job.” It’s a vocation. Only you are suggesting it’s not an “evening job.”

Putting a priest to work in a job would only lead to him being overworked.

Yet somehow that does not apply to permanent deacons? More absurdity – and just another excuse.

As well, I think this would lead to more men looking at religious orders rather than seminaries.

Try to focus on the big picture and get a sense of the possibilities. Don’t throw up road blocks just for the sake of throwing up road blocks. I don’t know what change(s) are going to be made to the priesthood, but they are going to huge at some point. Just as they were following the Council of Trent.

 

[AdamP88]

I never suggested it was ANY kind of “job.” It’s a vocation. Only you are suggesting it’s not an “evening job.”

AdamPeter:

That’s the impression I got from your post. Part-time priest, full time something else.

Yet somehow that does not apply to permanent deacons? More absurdity – and just another excuse.

AdamPeter:

Permanent Deacons simply do not have the same workload as priests.

Open your mind just a bit. Try to grasp the big picture and get a sense of the possibilities. Don’t throw up road blocks just for the sake of throwing up road blocks. I don’t know what change(s) are going to be made to the priesthood, but it/they are going to huge at some point.

Well that’s just your opinion. I see no reason why priesthood needs to radically change right now. The “big picture” is that men answer the call to priesthood when there is prayer for vocations and good formation of the youth. It’s as simple as that. It’s only in the West that there is a “crisis” of vocations. Africa and Asia are getting thousands.
As a teacher it’s my job to try to plant the seeds that will lead to young men considering the priesthood. If I have kids my job will be to teach them that the priesthood is something they can do. I think a lot of Catholic families don’t present the priesthood as “normal”. I intend to expose my kids to the various priest friends I have and they will grow up in an environment where priests are part of our family life.

 

[Duesenberg]

That’s the impression I got from your post. Part-time priest, full time something else.

I never defined being a priest as a “job” – only you did. Out of curiosity, is that what you think when you come in contact with a permanent deacon? “Part-time deacon, full time something else”?

Permanent Deacons simply do not have the same workload as priests.

You’re wrong. They certainly do in many cases. In any event with far more priests, each one would not have to put in the number of hours some do today – particularly if they spend their time ministering to the faithful, rather than administering bureaucracies as so many do today.

I see no reason why priesthood needs to radically change right now. The “big picture” is that men answer the call to priesthood when there is prayer for vocations and good formation of the youth. It’s as simple as that. It’s only in the West that there is a “crisis” of vocations. Africa and Asia are getting thousands.

I do! Every time I hear a lament about the “shortage of priests”! Every time I hear “shortage of priests” used as an excuse for yet another failure within the Church.

Every African and South American country and most parts of Asia also have FAR LESS rigorous/bureaucratic rules to being ordained a priest. Were you aware of that? Maybe we can learn something from them? Possibly something along the lines of what I outlined?

 

[Duesenberg]

It’s clear you didn’t read the first posting of this thread (emphasis added):

As with anything new there would be resistance to such an initiative. Given the huge number of permanent deacons (yes, an entirely different vocation!) in the US (by far the world’s leader in permanent deacons), there’s little doubt however that there would be an abundance of eligible aspirants – at least in the US.

 

[TechieGuy]

That seems to me to be an interesting idea.

 

[Duesenberg]

That seems to me to be an interesting idea.

Thank you for having an open mind. Too many knee-jerk reject such ideas without really pondering their potential. One thing is for certain – the Church WILL at some point implement major reforms in how it prepares men for the priesthood. That process should have started at least 30 years ago in my opinion. The only question is what shape these reforms will take? Thanks again.

 

[CilladeRoma]

The Church did reform how she trained priests.
Much of what you now propose was how it used to be done throughout the history of the Church.
It didn’t work then, as we see by reforms, and won’t work now.

While I give you credit for thinking outside the box, it seems to me that you want to reduce a priest to a mere “sacramental machine”. That is not what the ministerial priesthood is about.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The lack of priests handing out quick and easy confessions in places like one’s work (by the way - are people really going to want to confess their sins in the workplace? I sure wouldn’t) or mall storefronts is not why people are staying away from Confession.

They stay away from Confession

• because they have an unresolved sin or two or ten that they do not want to confess because they will be told to stop doing it, yet if they don’t confess it they know they run the risk of making a bad confession
• because they have anxiety issues or other emotional issues with telling a priest their sins
• because they have decided, perhaps because of the reasons above, that they can just talk directly to God and don’t need the sacrament of confession

I was away from Confession from 1997 to 2015. It was not because confessions were so hard to find. Since I returned to Confession, I have been able to find a priest every couple weeks when I need to get it done. My only complaint is the very short time window for confessions, especially when First Saturday rolls around and every Mary devotee is down there in a long line, but I do not think that anyone who was anxious to get to confession to the point that they’re doing a line stand is going to just skip the whole thing because it’s a headache. They will grouse about it, but will go back and keep trying.

 

[Shakuhachi]

Sounds like the Worker Priest movement:

Worker-priest - Wikipedia

 

[Walking_Home]

These new brand priests would not be formed by the collegiate in-residence study of philosophy and 4+ years of in-residence seminary. They would be formed in parishes/deaneries through extended apprenticeships, directed self-study and/or approved online formation coursework and diocesan seminars, along with spiritual direction. Far different than the process used today, but potentially every bit as effective – even more so depending on the individual situation.

Forming priests on the local level – would open up to much the possibility of the wrong type of men (ex. an egotistical/egomaniac/my way or the highway) using the system to gain entry into the priesthood.

 

[Tulitas]

People ought to focus on what we have, treasure it, and support it. Only Christ Himself effects a change in His Church, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the Cardinals and Bishops, and yes, Pope Francis. The laity do much in the church, thank the Lord. One thing we should not do as laity, is to somehow believe we are in the driver’s seat.
Prayer.
Prayer, humility, charity toward others. Abandon the habit of peering into each other’s souls. Be an example. Practice the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, and watch the blessings pour in. At this time of the year when priest are stretched so thin, let’s offer a prayer for them.
Peace to all, and a blessed Advent.

 

[babochka]

Forming priests on the local level – would open up to much the possibility of the wrong type of men (ex. an egotistical/egomaniac) using the system to gain entry into the priesthood.

That possibly already exists. You’ve never met those priests?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I have read about priests who go out into the workplace and hold jobs in order to bring in financial support for their orders. Usually they are older men who had some kind of career such as computer programmer or financial analyst before they joined the order.

Any job that’s not involving ministering to people’s needs is definitely going to be taking your time and energy away from God though.

 

[tafan2]

Warrant officer priests? I like the idea. These men would not be the pastors of our parishes, they would be the worker priests. I think it could work. It is in line with the permanent deaconate, and I suspect that the deaconate programs would really be opposed to it, as most of the men who normally would have been interested in being deacons would opt for this. Now, I think that would be a good thing. I like that we have deacons, but at this point in time, the Church needs more deacons than priests.

I think its a really good idea.

 

[tafan2]

Forming priests on the local level – would open up to much the possibility of the wrong type of men (ex. an egotistical/egomaniac) using the system to gain entry into the priesthood.

I don’t think so. The deaconate program has proven in most areas that it does a pretty good job of vetting (and of course forming) candidates.