Priest Shortage

[Orientale_Lumen]

SeminarianDan:

Remember where these ‘traditions’ came from though: In the OT the Levite priests were required to abstain from sexual relations while they were at the temple offering sacrafices for their tour of duty. In the NT All of 1st Corinthians 7, especially verses 32-35 show the superiority of celebacy for those who wish to be completely dedicated to the service of the Lord.

Dear SeminarianDan,

1. Maried Eastern clergy are require to abstain from relations with their wives before serving as part of their liturgical fast. (Which, BTW, begins the evening before the Lirugy, not 1 hour beforehand.)
2. So, if we want to properly dedicate ourselves to the Lord, as all good Christians should do… celibacy for everyone! That would solve all of the problems facing the Church today. Well, in a few generations.

Perhaps it is time for the Eastern Catholic Church to follow the lead of celibate ministers like the Roman Catholic Church.

1. Perhaps it is time for the Roman Church to concern itself with the Roman Church and stop meddling in the affairs the Eastern Churches! Roman ‘supremacy’ has already done enough harm to the other Churches with which it is in communion.

The East and West have different understandings of many topics. This enriches the Catholic Church. Just because Churches are different doesn’t make one better or more corect than others. I’m sure the Eastern Churches would promise not to tell the Roman Church how to run its business, regardless of whether or not the same is made by Rome.

 

[Hesychios]

SeminarianDan:

Perhaps it is time for the Eastern Catholic Church to follow the lead of celibate ministers like the Roman Catholic Church.

Don’t flatter yourself Dan, you are not the first person to think like this! We have been listening to it for 400 years at least.

Latin thinking along these lines has had damaging consequences for the Catholic Communion of churches. If Traditional Roman Catholics had been allowed to prevail along these lines, there would be no Catholic Communion of 23 Sui Iuris churches for you guys to brag about.

We are happily restoring the traditions our mother churches have passed along to us. We look forward to the day when all may be one in Christ, and we may merge our parishes into our sister churches. Together with our tradition of optional celibacy, which is the older of the traditions in the universal church.

Michael, that sinner

 

[george_eastlake]

Roman catholic priests, good ones, understand celibacy to be a gift. Chastity , virginity and celibacy are three different things. Celibacy is a fruit of chastity, chastity means, in what way are our bodies- heart, mind soul and sexuality to be given to God. A good priest told me that he truly knew what he was getting into and understood celibacy to be a gift from God. We have to remember that we don’t understand everything theologically proposed. Our diocese is suffering and if you go to most parishes and see and listen you would understand why. Orthodoxy seems to be the determining fctor. Priests aren’t telling parents to talk to there kids about vocation because most catholics are on spiritual vacation. When we don’t teach anymore about morality and doctrine from the pulpit, how can we encourage vocation to religious life? And while I’m at it , the sisters at my kids school don’t wear habits. Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharest, in Michigan have seen a drastic growth in vocation because of this 1. wearing their habits
2. adoration 3. orthodoxy and fidelity to the Magisterium.
These are teaching nuns who started their own schools. They start each day with mass… Wake up?!

peace and love

 

[buffalo]

davy39:

I was just thinking, I wonder how may priests are in administrative jobs that could be done by somebody else. They should be out in the trenches where they are really needed.

Too many - they are now CEO’s worried about lawsuits and other things that they find little time to actually pastor.

 

[buffalo]

Ric:

I believe that the “Priest Shortage” will keep on getting worse if the Roman Catholic church never lets the “priest” get married once again.

Wrong - teach the truth - the hard truth. Men will be drawn to it. They typically frown on a wishy washy no backbone religion.

 

[debi]

Maybe I am crazy but I partially blame the priest shortage to birth control. When families were large it was great to say this is my son the doctor, this is my son the lawyer, this is my son the priest…Now when we have “usually” only one or two sons we do not want to “sacrifice” one to the priesthood. (Who’ll carry on the family name???)
BTW we do have a shortage, several parishes are closing due to extreme shortage.
blessings

 

[Hesychios]

debi:

Maybe I am crazy but I partially blame the priest shortage to birth control. When families were large it was great to say this is my son the doctor, this is my son the lawyer, this is my son the priest…Now when we have “usually” only one or two sons we do not want to “sacrifice” one to the priesthood. (Who’ll carry on the family name???)
BTW we do have a shortage, several parishes are closing due to extreme shortage.
blessings

I agree with this. In fact, this was probably the best post on the whole thread.

The pay is terrible. The sacrifices are enormous.

Married priests and their families, as well as celibate priests really struggle to make ends meet on what they are paid.

Which parents these days, with the cultural values we have today, will encourage their sons to be priests? Years ago the firstborn son was commonly discouraged from the priesthood, * “we need you to run the family business!”* and “Papa will be very dissapointed if you don’t give him a grandson”. That’s why those families that contributed all of their sons to clerical orders were so remarkable years ago, everyone knew what that really implied as to piety and sacrifice in a family. Now the average family is so small their might be just one son.

That son is going to have a big paying job, marry a good woman, build a big house and take care of Gramma when she gets old “End of discussion!!”

Let’s all say a prayer for the priests we do have, and pray for their parents too.

Michael