Importing foreign priests is not the answer. The Catholic Church's vocations crisis: LaCroix International Article

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A few things…
  1. I don’t at all see this discussion as Anti-Catholic on any level. I don’t see articles about this discussion as Anti-Catholic. Somehow celibacy has been associated with Catholicism as a way to define Catholicism. To me this is unfortunate. I see this discussion of priestly celibacy as a healthy discussion for Catholics to have.
  2. I’m not blaming the church for anything. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed celibacy. I think he was right to do so. The Catholic church in Europe and the US had an abundance of priests. This is not the case any more, so they are considering Viri Probati. Again I think the church is right to do this.
  3. Lay people have a stake in this…all Catholics do. I just don’t agree that only missionaries should be able comment on the value of their missionary efforts. “Why take foreign missionaries from a place where the ratio is 1 priest to 5000 lay people and send them to a place where there is a ratio of 1 priest to 2000 lay people.” This is a fair question that I believe every Catholic should ask if they want.
 
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phil19034 said:
  • there are too many dissent bishops and vocations directors
  • there are too many dissent seminaries
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Why does the Roman Catholic Church have too many bishops, vocations directors and seminaries in dissent, but the Russian Orthodox Church does not ?
 
Anicette said:
The polls realized by medias show that among Catholics, the vast majority want married priests, women priests etc.
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Polls also show that a majority of Catholics support abominations like abortion and same sex “marriage.” That just proves that a majority of Catholics are poorly catechized.
You want monumental schism? Ordaining “priestesses” is a sure fire way to bring it about. Not to mention the Church has no authority to ordain women.
 
We have so many devout and holy priests coming into Australia ,many from India, Vietnam,Sri Lanka,Phillipines ,South Korea.Thanks be to God 🙂
 
I am on your side.
I just answers a question on what the Catholics want.

Yes polls in the US as my country indicate the same things you have written (more for Catholic who don’t practice).

I don’t agree with women priestesses, and I know it would created a schism.
 
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Anicette said:
Vocations are much more higher in urbans areas.
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Interesting. I would have expected that in France, vocations would come from more rural areas. Is traditional faith stronger in the rural areas? Or is it about the same wherever you go?
 
not the same everywhere.

in some rural areas (west of the France, hedgerow, Alsace…) the faith is stronger for olders generations. Catholicism is a part of tradition and mass attendance too.
there is more mass for less population. There is more Catholics schools (heritage from the XIXth century).
I have move to such an area, and when we visited houses, there is many (not the majority, but some) where crosses hang on the walls.

But in some others rural areas, it is a Catholic desert…(ex, Creuse).

The rural areas have very few vocations. Because, as there is no university and good jobs, youngs left after high school. And never return. And priests have to had diplomas.

Rural areas (how are also areas where jobs were industrial factories had gone, and public service too, ) are where many new people come because they cannot afford to live in city (periurban areas).

In general, urbans cities are more progressive, less catholics, but the Catholic presence is stronger, because there is more population, more good jobs, and so more Catholics. So there is more Church offers for Catholics and more priesthood vocations.

Catholics are older and and more rich than the general population.

The consequence of all this show in the statistics of children who attend Catholic cathechism. It is 30% of all children in urban areas. The official stats (it dates from some years). But it is not a true stat, because the bishops have renounce to include the children of rural areas, because it would plumb the stats! Nobody know but it is estimated as something like 10%.
Rural areas= few parishes, have to take the car to go to mass often, dying parishes with very very few children…
 
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Anicette said:
Rural areas (how are also areas where jobs were industrial factories had gone, and public service too, ) are where many new people come because they cannot afford to live in city (periurban areas).
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Makes sense. We have some places in the US that are in similar circumstances.
Anicette said:
The consequence of all this show in the statistics of children who attend Catholic cathechism. It is 30% of all children in urban areas. The official stats (it dates from some years). But it is not a true stat, because the bishops have renounce to include the children of rural areas, because it would plumb the stats! Nobody know but it is estimated as something like 10%.
Rural areas= few parishes, have to take the car to go to mass often, dying parishes with very very few children…
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While those numbers aren’t great, they’re somewhat encouraging. I would’ve expected them to be lower. As someone who has a great appreciation of France and French culture, I hope there will be a spiritual turnaround for the country!
 
CTBcin said:
I hope there will be a spiritual turnaround for the country!
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Thanks you! I appreciate to see someone who love my culture and cares for my country!😀

But in France, the Church is dying. There is some news Catholics, thanks to immigration, and the youngers generations are more colored, but it will not overturn the trend!

The new trend, is no religion. And Islam and Evangelical protestantism, thanks to new arrivals and conversions!
 
:grinning:Have you got the stats of numbers of priests for faithfull Catholics, or a map for your country?
Are you in the US?

It would be interesting to know the percentage of foreign priests too! (very high in my diocese).
 
I don’t think that Russian Orthodox Church is currently considered as “schismatic” and “dissent” by Catholic Church.
The excommunication Of Michel 1st Cerulaire had been lifted by Pope Paul VI.

They remain of course, separated Churches.
 
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This one’s the best I could find. It’s not people per priest, but parishes per priest. Green is good, red is bad. I don’t think this is as accurate of a measure as people per priest is.
 
How up to date is this? Because my diocese is red but we’re doing well on seminarians and very few parishes share priests.
 
I’m not sure. I found the map to be a bit surprising myself, but it was all I could find.
 
Thanks for the interesting map. I used to be able to read French…still sorta can read it. So when it says “Nombre de pretres incardines”…does this mean number of ordained priests? Why is this number sometimes greater than the “Nombre de pretres en activite” (I’m assuming this means number of active priests)?

What year was this map published?
 
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