| Welcome to Campfire Soapbox. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Priests Urged To Recruit Young Men To Serve; Is There A About Face In The Vatican. | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 15 2005, 09:40 AM (140 Views) | |
| puli-one | Oct 15 2005, 09:40 AM Post #1 |
![]()
Member
|
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN Published: October 15, 2005 Faced with wounded morale and diminishing numbers in the priesthood, Roman Catholic bishops in the United States began a program yesterday to remind priests why they serve and to enlist them in a recruitment campaign. In past generations, it was common for American priests to encourage young men to make lifetime commitments to the church. But a recent poll by the bishops found that one out of three priests were doing that now, said Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., chairman of the bishops' committee on vocations. "This program," Bishop Cupich said, "aims at having priests step back for a moment, reflect on their own service and their own vocation call and then not only use that as an opportunity to renew themselves, but also to encourage them to share their story with others who can then be called to follow in their footsteps." The bishops made their announcement as their counterparts from around the world met at a three-week synod in Rome. Among the topics being debated there is how to deal with the worldwide shortage of priests. Although some bishops support allowing priests to marry, many others oppose lifting the celibacy requirement. The shortage of priests is so dire that more than 3,200 United States parishes are without resident priests, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. In 25 years, the number of priests in the United States has declined 26 percent, to 42,500, as the number of Roman Catholics rose 29 percent, to 65 million. The Rev. Edward J. Burns, executive director of the bishops' Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation, said priests in a recent workshop said that among the reasons so few actively promoted the priesthood were low morale, fear of rejection and the sexual abuse scandals. In response to the scandals, the Vatican has been wrestling with whether to admit gay men to seminaries. Vatican investigators have been instructed to visit each seminary in the United States to look for "evidence of homosexuality" and see whether seminarians are being properly prepared to live celibately. Father Burns said polls showed that 90 percent of priests were happy in the priesthood and had no regrets. But many priests believe that "morale is low for everyone else," he said, so they hesitate to encourage others to join. He said another factor in the shortage was that contemporary culture discourages commitment of any kind and that many professions requiring service to others like nursing and teaching were also short of candidates. The shortage feeds on itself. More and more priests are in their 60's or older, few have time to work as youth pastors, and many divide their time among multiple parishes, affording little opportunity to mentor future priests, said Mary L. Gautier, senior research associate at the Georgetown center. "When your pastor is 75 and he's there all by himself, it's hard to imagine that as a role model," Ms. Gautier said. The bishops call their new initiative "Fishers of Men," a reference to the biblical account of Jesus' call to two brothers casting their nets at the Sea of Galilee, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." The program has been tested in six dioceses, Father Burns said. The plan is for priests to meet in their dioceses, relate histories about how and why they became priests, and learn ways to invite others to join. The program includes a new video that features a young boy who is inspired to become a priest after watching a priest at the scene of a car accident administer last rites to a dying victim. Father Burns said the video was based on a true case. "The program will make some difference, but I don't think it's going to make enough difference," said Sister Christine Schenck, who directs FutureChurch, a liberal Catholic group that advocates the ordination of women and married men as a solution to the priest shortage. The nun spoke in an interview from Rome, where she is monitoring the bishops' synod. "With the numbers of priests we need, there are not that many that are called to celibacy," she said. "Even if the bishops start an all-out campaign and it's wildly successful, there's just no way they can catch up." |
|
Don & Donna Puli Pup - Kelly | |
![]() |
|
| TexasShadow | Oct 15 2005, 01:16 PM Post #2 |
![]()
Jane
|
I don't think priests recruiting priests was ever an important element in young men choosing the priesthood. In fact, I think that many priests and nuns in the past were nudged that way by their parents, most likely their mothers....and something else. Up to the late fifties, early 60s, catholic boys and girls were influenced by the spiritual aura of the priesthood or sisterhood, and the idealistic desire to serve God in that special, somehow higher, role. Heck, even I, at around age 15, entertained the idea...because the nuns seemed so absolutely content and genuinely nice (didn't go to catholic school )But after Vatican 2, the reverence level began dropping off until the Eucharist ritual took on an atmosphere of a casual, hotdog and bean supper with Jesus. The aura of holiness faded and the desire to attain that level of holiness faded, as society itself took a turn for the worse in choosing worldly pleasures instead of spiritual ones. The ME generation took over and self sacrifice became regarded as nonsense. So I don't think priests recruiting priests will have much impact. |
|
| |
![]() |
|
| campingken | Oct 15 2005, 07:09 PM Post #3 |
|
Member
|
Has anyone seen the "Father Ted" sitcom produced by the BBC. What a HOOT!!!!! Ken Sequim Wa |
![]() |
|
| Jelly Bean | Oct 16 2005, 04:26 AM Post #4 |
![]()
Member
|
You know...I don't know what it is...but you have a nice way of explaining things. I think I would agree with this texas! |
![]() |
|
| Jelly Bean | Oct 16 2005, 04:28 AM Post #5 |
![]()
Member
|
Is he the same guy in four weddings and a funeral...the movie? |
![]() |
|
| campingken | Oct 16 2005, 02:52 PM Post #6 |
|
Member
|
JB, No in the series 3 priests are banished by the church to "Craggy Island" located somewhere off of Ireland. The show was on for a few years in the late 90's then the star died. It is one of the funnest sitcoms I have ever watched. Ken |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Soapbox · Next Topic » |








)

10:38 AM Jul 13