This seems to have been a trend in the West in general. I would be curious if that "hunch" is true. It seemed (again, just a hunch) that throughout the mid-2000s through the mid-2010s, diocesan ordinations were on the rise. Then, over the past ten years, they began to decline, and it seems now to be at an alarmingly low point. If my hunc…
This seems to have been a trend in the West in general. I would be curious if that "hunch" is true. It seemed (again, just a hunch) that throughout the mid-2000s through the mid-2010s, diocesan ordinations were on the rise. Then, over the past ten years, they began to decline, and it seems now to be at an alarmingly low point. If my hunch is correct, why aren't bishops more concerned? I understand that the Church hinges upon the laity. But without a regular priestly presence to provide sacraments and pastoral care how long can our Catholic institutions (especially parishes) hope to have enough resources and people to maintain even a mediocre existence?
I wonder if religious communities have experienced the same drop off or if they are faring better?
Possibly the bishops aren't concerned, but I think it's more likely that they are taking cues from marketing experts. Gotta avoid negativity. Always look friendly and upbeat. Shore up appearances to make your product - er, Church - look like a fantastic place to be!
Of course, everyone knows advertising is superficial, and no one in their right mind would take all the requirements of being Catholic, in exchange for superficiality. People who are trying to sell you something will refrain from telling you things you can be expected to dislike, often even if they know that you already know them. People who want to help you make a good decision will be careful to tell you the things you can be expected to dislike. Someone who tells you what you don't like may not be trustworthy, but someone who carefully avoids telling you what you don't like definitely isn't.
It would be nice to get some general data on religious orders. I've heard of a lot of them shutting down and trying to handle older religious with no one to support them, and a few busting their seams.
Yeah, it does seem evangelization for some does not include the difficult things like sin, suffering, and sacrifice. As that shows why the Resurrection is so powerful. So much for “proclaiming Christ crucified.”
Yes, JLK, this seems to be the case for Bishops in England and Wales for many years. Ordinations to the diocesan priesthood have been grim since 2000 - 20 or 30 a year for 22 dioceses. And they look likely to drop lower.
Yet there is hardly a word from the Bishops to encourage good young men to step forward. It seems years since I heard the topic mentioned. Appeals and prayers for vocations were common back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Could their Graces be looking for an excuse to have married priests? Or is there some other obscure motive?
That is true. The Francis cynic in me has also led me to wonder if bishops shy away from getting too many vocations as this has led to Apostolic Visitations for some bishops and religious orders that are doing a little too well.
Only because they happen to be pesky trads who have the audacity to prefer our ancient culture and traditions and oppose the watering down of the same.
This seems to have been a trend in the West in general. I would be curious if that "hunch" is true. It seemed (again, just a hunch) that throughout the mid-2000s through the mid-2010s, diocesan ordinations were on the rise. Then, over the past ten years, they began to decline, and it seems now to be at an alarmingly low point. If my hunch is correct, why aren't bishops more concerned? I understand that the Church hinges upon the laity. But without a regular priestly presence to provide sacraments and pastoral care how long can our Catholic institutions (especially parishes) hope to have enough resources and people to maintain even a mediocre existence?
I wonder if religious communities have experienced the same drop off or if they are faring better?
Possibly the bishops aren't concerned, but I think it's more likely that they are taking cues from marketing experts. Gotta avoid negativity. Always look friendly and upbeat. Shore up appearances to make your product - er, Church - look like a fantastic place to be!
Of course, everyone knows advertising is superficial, and no one in their right mind would take all the requirements of being Catholic, in exchange for superficiality. People who are trying to sell you something will refrain from telling you things you can be expected to dislike, often even if they know that you already know them. People who want to help you make a good decision will be careful to tell you the things you can be expected to dislike. Someone who tells you what you don't like may not be trustworthy, but someone who carefully avoids telling you what you don't like definitely isn't.
It would be nice to get some general data on religious orders. I've heard of a lot of them shutting down and trying to handle older religious with no one to support them, and a few busting their seams.
Yeah, it does seem evangelization for some does not include the difficult things like sin, suffering, and sacrifice. As that shows why the Resurrection is so powerful. So much for “proclaiming Christ crucified.”
Yes, JLK, this seems to be the case for Bishops in England and Wales for many years. Ordinations to the diocesan priesthood have been grim since 2000 - 20 or 30 a year for 22 dioceses. And they look likely to drop lower.
Yet there is hardly a word from the Bishops to encourage good young men to step forward. It seems years since I heard the topic mentioned. Appeals and prayers for vocations were common back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Could their Graces be looking for an excuse to have married priests? Or is there some other obscure motive?
That is true. The Francis cynic in me has also led me to wonder if bishops shy away from getting too many vocations as this has led to Apostolic Visitations for some bishops and religious orders that are doing a little too well.
Only because they happen to be pesky trads who have the audacity to prefer our ancient culture and traditions and oppose the watering down of the same.
" If my hunch is correct, why aren't bishops more concerned?"
Because they continue to live comfortably off of the proceeds of the church tax.