As most of us may well know, there has been a shortage of priests in recent years as well as a decline in the number of vocations. Some parishes do not have a resident priest and do not take Holy Communion as often as other parishes do. Other parishes have closed down. The whole doomsday scenario goes on.
I used to worry about this question quite a bit. It still causes me an acute bit of anxiety but I've tried my best to confide in the Lord and surrender my qualms to Him because, in the end, He will see His Church through. Correction: He is seeing His Church through.
Here are the facts that many in the women ordination/end-priestly-celibacy camp won't tell you.
(1) The fact that priestly vocations have declined in the US does not mean they have declined all over the world. We like to project our problems here and think they are global in scope since, after all, the US of A is the center of humanity as we know it, right? Right?... No. While priestly vocations have declined precipitously in the Western, secular, increasingly irreligious, capitalist, economic powerhouse world, they have either remained steady in number or increased in "second" and especially Third World countries. In the poorest countries of the world God is calling the loudest for the children of the poor to shepherd His flock. Somehow this does not surprise me at all.
Relatively modernized countries like Poland and Ireland actually have priest surpluses and are "exporting" priests around the world to help. During my time in France, it was not uncommon to find parishes with 8 priests and up for dwindling parishes. So the argument that the number of Catholics is skyrocketing and the number of priests is dwindling is only an iota correct. Every area has its own situation. Consider this: statistically speaking, would it not make more sense that in a more strongly Catholic area where there are large numbers of true faithful, there would also be a comparatively adequate number of pure vocations to the priesthood? In Europe, despite its radical secularism and assaults on religion, there are still steady numbers of vocations to the priesthood. They're not as high as they used to be but they are there. Thanks be to God.
(2) Although unfortunate, it is not the end of the world if a parish goes without Holy Communion from time to time. There are countries in the world where parishes only take the Eucharist once or twice a year at most due to supply shortages. In the city where this was written (Gainesville, FL) the Eucharist is taken on at least 54 occasions PER WEEK. And this is in the South where Protestantism is strong. Consider that before you whine and complain.
(3) Throwing out data is one thing. Interpreting it is another. As we all know, 47% of statistics are made up! All the same, this we do know: the number of Catholics in the world right now is a bit over 1 billion (1,000,000,000). That is one sixth of the world population. That number is primarily compiled from parish registrations, which are required by churches. Now, any one Catholic could be registered in more than one church at any time. I am one of those. Any Catholic could also register at a church and then never go to Mass or practice his or her faith at all. Assessing the number of practicing Catholics is trickier than just looking at registrations and it is they who most call upon the presence of a priest. So when someone says that there are well over a billion Catholics in the world, and that there are way too few priests, and that there simply aren't enough priests to deal with the massive population of Catholics- think again. Yes, it would be nice to have more priests who can go out and evangelize, bring people back, etc. but at this time there aren't. This is not a bad thing. We make do with what we have and let God work His wonders.
There are many groups and dissident factions within the Church today who have created a sort of doomsday sensationalism regarding the vocation question such as FutureChurch and Call to Action which have been plotting to bring down our sacred tradition and who have waited patiently for the moment to strike during which to push their divisive agenda. They scored a minor victory in Vatican II but the Church stood firm.
Allow me to show you exhibit one: graphical data from the Georgetown University Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. I have been yearning for some time now to locate this data and see if my suspicions regarding the trends in the 20th century were true. They proved true.
As you can see from the below chart, in the period where the Catholic Church in the US really got momentum going from 1899 all the way up to the period around 1956-1965, the number of religious priests and brothers rose dramatically. The rate of growth did not begin to seriously decelerate until the '65-'76 period- right in the wake of Vatican II. Then, shockingly, in the 1976-1985 period, the number begins to plummet. (Incidentally, while many pro-women ordinationists would like to say that there is an ample supply of women to be priestesses, the fact is that the number of women religious has plummeted just as dramtically if not more as with the men.)
(If you can't see these charts, click them)
Below, exhibit two: women religious trends.
How does one account for these trends? Well, there are many reasons to explain the gradual decline in vocations in the post-WWII period- the rebellious spirit of the times, the rise of secularism in the US, the sexual "revolution", the overall assault on traditional authority and morality, etc. However, the plummeting of vocations in the period around 1975-1985 can be most easily explained by the changes enacted during Vatican II and the Protestantization of ministry with an overemphasis on the laity. If the laity are made to think that they are equal in authority as the priest, that they can perform many of the same functions as the priest, and that they do not need ordination to engage in the ministry of the Church, what reason do they have to go through the trouble of ordination? The Novus Ordo Mass in itself does not require much particular skill or expertise to perform. If I dare speak of appeal, the appeal of the post-Conciliar priesthood is not as strong as it once was, when being a priest was something exceptional, loftier, requiring a deeper spiritual retreat from the world and commitment to prayer that has been greatly de-emphasized in our modern times. Is this to say that all post-Conciliar priests are bad? NO! Nonetheless, the overall emphases made in the "spirit of Vatican II" create the impression that being a priest is not as necessary as just doing your duty. Let us not forget that the practice of receiving a tonsure in the pre-Conciliar Church and having strictly altar boys (who were in that position as potential seminarians) contributed greatly to the number of vocations.
Somehow I get the feeling that persisting in the modernist liberalization of the Church will not really help the vocation question. It seems to have done immense harm since the "reforms" crept in during the past 40 or so years. Perhaps a return to the traditional theology and teachings of the Church is in order. Perhaps doing things the way we did for so many centuries is the solution. If the Church enters and becomes of the world, it loses its moral authority and its source of strength and sanctity that has so drawn the many religious to its ranks for centuries. This is why priestly celibacy, the deepest sign of a priest's complete commitment to his supremely vital labor and his bride, the Church, must be retained. Regarding "priestesshood", I reiterate the millennial position of our Holy Mother Church that we have only male priests because Christ only chose men to be his Apostles. Men, by virtue of their bodies (as explained in JPII's Theology of the Body) and their scriptural role as the stewards of God's Creation, are the initiators of the sacrifice, they have been chosen throughout history to be God's priests. They are not superior to women nor are women, thus, inferior. Men are ordinate and women subordinate. This is in Scripture (1 Corinthians: 1-16, Ephesians 5:21-33). This is not oppression nor an expression of a lesser worth on the part of women nor even the blind assertion of social practice. Men and women have distinct roles- this is what makes society run. Rather than bicker all day about "liberation" or "rights", why don't we get to work doing what we are called to do, either as men or as women, each called in unique ways to serve God the Father. There is much work to be done. There is no time to waste on this frivolous debate.
O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart Your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to youth that they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve God. Give them courage and strength to follow God's holy will. Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds, conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where they will labor in God's holy service.
Amen.
An explanation for the male priesthood
Priestly celibacy
Vocations Blog (Very interesting)
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