Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr.
A message from Bishop Fisher appears on the diocesan website in which he states that “The Diocese of Buffalo, like dioceses across our nation and around the world, has had to deal with some harsh realities – a decline in Church attendance, the decline of those pursuing a life in ordained ministry, the rise of secularism and shift away from the parish as the defining center of Catholic identity and the horrendous toll that the sexual abuse scandal by clergy and others has inflicted on parish life and the personal faith of so many; most especially on those who have been forever harmed in body, mind and spirit.”
All of the above factors have played a role in creating the situation that the Catholic Church faces today. Certainly, the sexual abuse scandal is a factor but for years those who were aware of the abuse ignored it or actively covered it up. A church that truly loves and cares for its people, especially its children, would have stopped the abuse in its tracks, admitted what was happening and then fixed it but they did nothing until they were caught.
Certainly, our world and our nation has become much more secular in my lifetime. We see it in declining church attendance and in the reception of the sacraments. Then there is the fact that as Catholics have entered the middle class and moved into the mainstream of American life, they left those Catholic communities and neighborhoods where the parish fostered a strong Catholic identity.
All of the above worked to change the relationship Catholics have with their Church and in an increasingly secularized world led to a decline in the number of young men discerning a call to the priesthood.
Under the current rules governing who is eligible for the priesthood the steep decline in vocations is I believe an existential threat to the future of the Catholic Church as we know it. A time may come when many if not most dioceses will have only a handful of priests active in ministry.
The Catholic Church is a Sacramental church with its faith life centered on the seven Sacraments. of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. While a bishop can administer all seven sacraments, a priest may administer all sacraments except confirmation and Holy Orders. Therefore, the laity are dependent on the presence of the parish priest to Baptize, to Confirm, to make the Eucharist readily available, to hear confessions, to marry Catholics, and to anoint the sick.
From 1970 when there were 59,192 priests in ministry until 2022 when there were 34,344 priests, men in the priesthood fell by 42%. While the number of priests fell the Catholic population continued to grow and the number of lay people per priest rose from 875 per priest in 1981, to 1,113 per priest in 1991 and still higher in 2012 when the ratio was 2,000 to 1
So, what are the reasons for the declining number of clergy in the Catholic Church?
A survey done in 1985 of Catholic college students found that celibacy was the most significant deterrent in keeping men from entering the priesthood. The survey found that nearly four times as many men would enter the priesthood if celibacy were made optional for diocesan priests. It is interesting to note that in the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church, celibacy, while highly praised, is not a legal requirement for priests. Also, celibacy did not become mandatory in the Roman Catholic Church until after the Second Lateran Council in 1139 over the issue of primogenitor and the fear that church lands would be inherited by a priest’s eldest son.
Certainly, the sexual abuse scandal that tarnished the reputation of the priesthood has had an impact on vocations to the priesthood. It is probable that some young men considering a call to the priesthood might have hesitated to answer that call because of the reputation of the priesthood.
Sandra Yocum, a professor specializing in faith and culture at the University of Dayton, reminds us that in earlier times having a son become a priest was seen as the peak of success for working class Catholics in the US. But times change and as more Catholics entered the middle class socioeconomic opportunities and expectations rose for American Catholics and having a son enter the priesthood was seen as far less of a sign of success.
One possible approach to solving the shortage is found in a report commissioned by the organization “Vocation Ministry.” The study found that there were fewer vocations to the priesthood from large parishes where priests do not have the time to get to know their parishioners and to encourage vocations.
However smaller parishes where priests had the time to get to know parishioners and to encourage “budding” vocations had a higher rate of vocations. Because 70% of priests say that their parish priest had the most impact on their vocation It went on to suggest that the best and brightest of priests should go to smaller parishes where they would have the time to encourage vocations.
Given the current rules governing who is eligible to be a priest this is the kind thinking needed if the Catholic Church is to solve the priest shortage that threatens its future.
Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com