Methods to stop Priest Shortage

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on_the_hill said:
But we’re not. Which is why there’s a shortage. So what do we do to change the tide? The first thing that comes to mind is to make it easier for married men to become priests.

As for having more children…no. I’m not going to have seven or eight or nine kids just on the off chance that one of them would hear the call.
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You don’t have to have seven or eight to see if one hears the call. You (we) have as many children as is prudent in your (our) situation and then encourage vocations within your domestic church.

Truly live the faith - Mass, family prayer, regular confession - but also help children to explore a vocation by introducing them to priests, deacons, and religious, speaking positively about a religious vocation, encouraging them to attend vocation retreats. Also, encourage sacramental marriage as a vocation. Perhaps it is a grandchild (or two) who will become a priest. But even if a couple only has one son (or just one child), they should still encourage a vocation and allow a son to accept the call if he hears it.
 
on_the_hill said:
But we’re not. Which is why there’s a shortage. So what do we do to change the tide? The first thing that comes to mind is to make it easier for married men to become priests.
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The problem with that is that there’s no correlation between the possibility of married clergy and higher amounts of clergy. The Easter Rites, who largely accept the possibility of married clergy suffered a cut in vocations, as is the Anglican Communion, who can ordain anyone.
 
on_the_hill said:
But we’re not. Which is why there’s a shortage. So what do we do to change the tide? The first thing that comes to mind is to make it easier for married men to become priests.

As for having more children…no. I’m not going to have seven or eight or nine kids just on the off chance that one of them would hear the call.
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As others have said, that is not required. Just be open to the will of God as to your progeny.

And while the Church has practiced priestly celibacy for roughly 900 years, the vaunted “priest shortage” has existed for only about 45, or 5% of that time. A lack of married priests is not the issue; the sexual revolution is. But it WILL pass.

ICXC NIKA.
 
Something we ALL can do as Catholics is pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. Never underestimate the power of prayer! I also agree that a good vocations program goes a long way. In the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, we have a (VERY active and holy) full-time vocations director, Fr. Chris Martin, and a very good seminary program. Seminary students and ordinations are more or less up in the archdiocese from the last decade, which is such a blessing.
 
Vocations in our diocese are increasing, as well. IIRC, there are enough…whatever they’re called…new entrants to the seminary…that the money to support them is running short.

A visiting priest who is in charge of vocations had a great line. When young men approach him with reservations about the priesthood, and they tell him, ‘people tell me I’m too good looking, or people tell me I’m too smart,’ his response is, “Do we want all our priests to be ugly and stupid?” 😃
 
edwest2 said:
Actually, that’s not accurate.

ncregister.com/daily-news/benedicts-men-u.s.-vocations-strengthen-during-his-eight-year-papacy/

Peace,
Ed
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Thanks for the information. I wasn’t aware that something officially had been done to address the problem of people with same sex attraction being ordained to the priesthood. I had been writing that the gates of the seminaries need to be guarded for some years now and just learned today as per the article you link to that something actually was done by Pope Benedict XVI to require vigilance from the rectors of the seminaries.

“Under the authority of Pope Benedict, the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education put in place new strict directives for seminaries in 2005, calling for screening requirements that barred candidates with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” or psychological immaturity from entering the priesthood.”

It is the case, as noted, that people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies are not suitable for the priesthood but this does not mean that they cannot be saints. It’s just that for the priesthood they are not suitable.

I think that this minimization of people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies in the priesthood will encourage those who are suitable to respond to the call. I was once invited to a priest conference ( early 90s) and I did not stay for more than fifteen minutes. I was traumatized by what I encountered. There was an older priest and I trying to leave as soon as possible with eyes wide opened and we sort of got stuck at the front door we just couldn’t get out soon enough. I wasn’t expecting what I saw as I have been blessed in my life with many holy priests. Now, they have not all had this what I would say almost holiness emanating from them but the others were top notch serious priests. So, when I so homosexual priests acting all out, flirting, and leading the conference like a big party, I was just surprised and shocked and freaked out. I couldn’t take it so I left right away. I think that if these situations are minimize more men who hear the call would be encouraged to complete the seminary studied and be ordained. This I think will be a good change for the priesthood.

Furthermore, I wish to comment on the implication of the article linking the low numbers of vocation during the papacy of Pope John Paul the Great to the pope and the rise during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI to Pope Benedict. I question the accuracy of that deduction as many important elements that contributed to this rise and fall are not being considered, such as, for instance, the priest scandals.

I bet a similar survey can be done of the priests who were ordained during the papacy of Pope John Paul the Great and we will find that many were inspired and encourage by the papacy of Pope John Paul the Great.
 
on_the_hill said:
But we’re not. Which is why there’s a shortage. So what do we do to change the tide? The first thing that comes to mind is to make it easier for married men to become priests.
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If our our culture looks so unfavorably on celibacy that not enough people want to be priests because of it, I’m not sure the priests we’d get as a result would be the kind of priests we need. The married priests I know seem fine with married Latin Rite priests being the occasional exception to the rule rather than an equally allowed option.
 
adawgj said:
As of right now I’m discerning priesthood in the Society of Jesus.
I have to get a degree first though since most novices are highly educated.
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Enjoy the 12 years of formation… :cool:

I’m caught between the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) and the diocese myself.
 
Priests and we who are preparing for priesthood should be an example. We should be witnesses of God’s love. We should be witnesses of joy of priesthood and we have to be truly men of God, men of prayer.
Quite simple way, isn’t it? 😃 And hard? 😃
 
One of the “retired” priests of my previous parish is now pastor of a small parish on the other side of the continent that exclusively gives Latin masses. Was quite a pleasant surprise for me to read about, though if I’m thinking right he must now be pushing 90!
 
Lamentation said:
Enjoy the 12 years of formation… :cool:

I’m caught between the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) and the diocese myself.
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Ha those 12 years will be worth it in the end.

I hope your discernment goes well too. 👍
 
Attempto said:
Priests and we who are preparing for priesthood should be an example. We should be witnesses of God’s love. We should be witnesses of joy of priesthood and we have to be truly men of God, men of prayer.
Quite simple way, isn’t it? 😃 And hard? 😃
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You said it my friend 👍
 
ServusHumilis said:
One of the “retired” priests of my previous parish is now pastor of a small parish on the other side of the continent that exclusively gives Latin masses. Was quite a pleasant surprise for me to read about, though if I’m thinking right he must now be pushing 90!
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Wow good for him. May God give him many years to come.
 
adawgj said:
Wow good for him. May God give him many years to come.
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Agreed! I heard he was in his 80s when he left a 5 years ago or so anyways though he never looked it so who knows. In grammar school we thought he was too strict; before making my first communion I couldn’t understand why he’d make us genuflect before sitting down when no other priest had said anything and while training for altar serving he had zero sympathy for our complaints about having to “kneel so long” on the marble steps. Thinking back he was really a great priest and I’m happy he’s able to do the Latin mass now. I hope to go to one of them if I’m ever near there.
 
commenter said:
  1. In my area, parish and school programs often implicitly describe the Mass as an exercise to build community, where the congregation coming together is what makes Christ “present”, and the priest is only there as “presider”. The concept of the Mass as Sacrifice is almost lost in some parishes. Many have little idea what the Consecration refers to. Priests are considered as a kind of social worker.
  2. The concept of sin is almost lost. People hear about it mainly in the context of “the wealthy taking advantage of the poor” or war. They have not been taught that sin is something people like you and me do; and that confession is where I need to go; and that priests are crucial for this.
My diocese has almost no vocations. The vocational director puts in a plug for the unique character of priesthood in parish bulletins, but that is drowned out by conflicting messages. They never present priesthood in the supernatural context of the sacrament; they present the priest as a nice guy who cares about people. You can do that without becoming a priest.
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Your response more or less reflects what I feel any (at least perceived) shortage of priestly vocations stems from. Obviously it will vary from parish to parish or perhaps more from diocese to diocese, but in general I do think it stems from lack of a good understanding of the sanctity of the Mass and what really goes on. I’m not really a “traditionalist,” but I think one negative thing about the Ordinary Form Mass is it lends itself toward making the Mass prayed more to the people than to God - that is, it is geared towards “pleasing” the people - this lessens the sanctity of the Mass. The Mass is not only holy because of the miracle that occurs, but because it is a Sacrifice offered by the priest to God. Many priests fail to correctly present the Mass.

I feel this is a huge reason why many people in general, and not just potential seminarians/priests, are not devout in their faith - the Mass and the Sacraments are just not important to them, because they do not understand what truly goes on. And this certainly is partially priests’ faults. No, not fully their fault, but it really partially is.

This honestly is one reason why I am a bit anxious about my being a priest. I can’t imagine being responsible for so many souls’ understanding of the important things in life, of the important teachings of the Catholic Church. Of course, if I do become a priest, I know I shall have God’s grace through the Sacrament of Holy Orders working in me, and of course I would do my best, but it is really something to ponder.
 
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