"Father Raymond J. de Souza: Why priests don't have kids"

From the National Post

By Fr. Raymond J de Souza

Childlessness advocates tell us, in sum, that children require a lot of sacrifices. That's not news. What may be new is that people now feel confident enough to argue publicly that those sacrifices are too great -- in short, that the child is not worth it. I say "may be" new because while the technology has changed over the millennia, the human heart has not. No doubt in every age there were a few who thought children not worth the bother.

The book excerpted in these pages this week makes the argument that life would be more convenient, and therefore happier, without children. That does not really follow. Many things, including most things that give meaning to life, are inconvenient on one level or another. A life of great ease and convenience and even wealth is not necessarily a happy one. Surely the mother at home with toddlers is more constrained than the jet-setting sybarite, but if you know people in both categories, you know that the latter is not necessarily happier than the former.

But any father or mother could tell you that. I, as you would correctly intuit, have no children. Catholic priests of the Latin rite are celibate (the Catholic eastern rites have married clergy).

Understanding the celibacy of the priest requires an understanding of what marriage and children are all about. If they were bad things, or wicked things, or merely things constraining human flourishing, then celibacy would simply be required for everybody. Only if they are good things, very good things, does it make sense to sacrifice them for something greater. So if children are such a good thing, why does the Catholic priest remain celibate?

The first answer is that is how Jesus lived. He chose not to marry and have children, contrary to the norms of his time--and our time too. In the Catholic sacramental world, the priest acts not merely as a representative of Christ, but in the person of Christ Himself. What a priest does no merely human power can do--baptize, forgive sins, consecrate the holy Eucharist. So when the priest acts in the sacraments, it is Christ who acts. The priest then is meant to be an icon of Christ. That is understood, incidentally, even by those who are not Catholic, which is why priestly wickedness occasions so much attention and legitimate opprobrium.

The identification of the priest with Jesus Christ is deeply rooted in the apostolic tradition. Though the apostles were certainly drawn from married men, the biblical witness indicates that they left married life behind, or never married, in response to their vocation. The apostolic tradition has roots even farther back, in the priests of the Jewish covenant, who refrained from conjugal life when engaged in their sacred duties.

There is another dimension at work -- what we call the eschatological dimension. The priest lives now as we all hope to live one day, in the blessedness of heaven. In heaven, there is no marrying or giving in marriage, as Jesus teaches. Marriage and family are for this world. To be sure, it is precisely through marriage and family that most learn the virtues that prepare them for blessedness in heaven. But it remains a preparation.

The priest, and others in consecrated celibacy, lives now as a sign of the world to come, with his life fixed upon the promise of the eternal fulfillment God provides. In freely renouncing the great good of married life and children, the priest points to the world to come. Indeed, without the world to come, the celibacy of the priest would make little sense.

The childless by choice are aiming to maximize some of this world's goods -- education, professional advancement, travel, wealth and, to be blunt, consequence-free sex. For this they are willing to sacrifice their most enduring stake in this world: The only enduring thing we leave in this world is our children. The priest's motivation could hardly be more different. He sacrifices his enduring stake in this world not for more of this world's transitory goods, but for those things that are more enduring than this world itself.

The child by his very nature points to the future. The childless advocates reject the future in favour of the present. The celibate priest points to the future beyond the future even children promise-- eternity.

"When pastors divorce" - A Lutheran Perspective

There is often discussion these days (in some circles) about allowing Catholic Priests to marry and how it would help end the vocations "crisis." I've posted about this before and the fact that protestant congregations which allow all forms of ministers (single, married, male, female, openly homosexual, "married" homosexuals, etc.) are facing the same problems that the Catholic Church is, if not worse. Below is another side of the issue that is rarely mentioned when discussing a change in the discipline of a celibate Priesthood - what happens when Priests' marriages fail? To say that it won't happen is naive. We're talking about human beings - we are all weak, we all fail, and we all sin. Sadly some marriages, for any number of reasons, do fail. I do not present this as THE reason why the Church should not allow married priests, rather I present it as a single point that is rarely mentioned in the discussion, and the article below does a decent job of highlighting the effects...

"A congregation may feel betrayal, sadness, anger or guilt"

From "The Lutheran"
By Barbara Sharkey

The end of a marriage can be sorrowful and distressing, a private time with details revealed to only the most trusted friends. But when pastors divorce, not only does previously undisclosed information suddenly become very public, but feelings of betrayal, sadness, anger and even guilt can deeply hurt a congregation.

Parishioners may feel caught between two sides, abandoned by their spiritual leader, or sometimes even powerless as the consequences of a church affair play out to a devastating conclusion.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Cardinal Arinze Presents "Letter to Young Priest"

Book Defends Value of Celibacy

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 16, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A priest who lives his celibacy with joy, fidelity and a positive spirit is a testimony that cannot be ignored in today's world, says Cardinal Francis Arinze.

The cardinal, who just retired last week from his post as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, affirmed this today when he presented on Vatican Radio his book "Riflessioni sul sacerdozio. Lettera a un giovane sacerdote" (Reflections on the Priesthood: Letter to a Young Priest). Excerpts from the volume were published by L'Osservatore Romano.

"The Church has always had great esteem for the celibacy of priests," the cardinal wrote. "Christ lived a virginal life, taught chastity to his disciples, and proposed virginity to those who are willing and able to follow a similar call."

"In priestly life, perpetual celibacy for the Kingdom of Heaven expresses and stimulates pastoral charity," he added. "It is a special fount of spiritual fruitfulness in the world. […] It is a testimony that stands out before the world as an efficacious way to follow Christ."

The cardinal said that in today's world, "immersed in an exaggerated preoccupation with sex and the violation of its sacredness […] a presbyter who lives his vow of chastity with joy, fidelity and a positive spirit is a testimony that cannot be ignored."

Through priestly celibacy, the prelate continued, "the presbyter consecrates himself more directly to Christ in the exercise of spiritual paternity." He is more available "as a minister of Christ, spouse of the Church," and he can "truly present himself as a living sign of the future world, which is already present through faith and charity."

Loneliness

The priest "should not doubt about the value or the possibility of celibacy because of the threat of loneliness," Cardinal Arinze contended, because solitude is also present to a certain degree in every state of life, also in matrimony.

Thus, he affirmed, it would be erroneous to try to avoid loneliness, "diving more and more into activities and continuously organizing new meetings, trips or visits." Instead, what the priest needs "is silence, tranquility and recollection to be in the presence of God, to give greater attention to God and to encounter Christ in personal prayer before the tabernacle."

"Only then will he be able to see Christ in every person that he encounters during his ministry," the prelate stated.

Fraternity

The retired Vatican official acknowledged that fraternity is also important in living celibacy. "The ideal is that the bishop makes it so that priests live in pairs or trios by parish, instead of alone," because "they need each other to make their potential grow to the maximum."

The priest's master and teacher is Christ, the cardinal recalled, and even if it is not possible to imitate him in the tiniest detail, "this does not exempt us from following him in the closest way possible."

Cardinal Arinze also mentioned the other two evangelical counsels in the life of the priest: obedience and poverty.

Obedience to the Pope, the bishop and their representatives is based in faith, he said, "and it is the instrument by which the priest gives God the opportunity to avail entirely of himself so as to fulfill the mission of the Church."

"God protects the priest who respects and obeys his bishop with firm fidelity and nobility of character," the cardinal said.

And the virtue of poverty, he continued, involves the priest's use of his money, avoiding anything that could lead to attachment to earthly goods or be an inclination to excessive spending. The priest, he said, should remember the poor, the sick, the elderly and all those with needs. His means of transportation, his house and furnishings, his way of dressing -- all should avoid being like the rich and powerful.

The cardinal suggested that a test of priestly generosity is to ask himself how well he lives charity, and how many poor people -- needy seminarians or consecrated persons -- will mourn his death as the loss of a father in Christ and a benefactor.

"Priestly Celibacy: Yes, it is Apostolic"

From Catholic Exchange.com
by Amy Blythe

Christ came to redeem mankind from slavery to the passions by His life of sacrifice. Everything about Him went against the grain in a most unprecedented, radical manner causing scandal to the Jewish people who were expecting a temporal Messiah. Observe: he loves sinners, and eats with them; adulterers receive mercy; the ill He heals on the Sabbath. Most disturbing of all, He is not married but is a virgin and preaches continence for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

The priesthood of the New Law is not made up of the powerful and intellectual but of men from ordinary walks of life who have renounced everything to live in continence, to follow the Master more closely. There are many in secular circles, and some even within the Church today, who question the validity of this charism in relation to the priesthood, arguing that it no longer suits the modern times in which we live. Others claim that there is no evidence, either scriptural or historical, that supports the apostolic roots of a celibate priesthood. Contrary to all the negativity, in-depth research vindicates priestly celibacy as indeed apostolic.

The proponents of abolishing the celibate priesthood use Scripture, claiming that the Apostles were married based on the passage relating the cure of Saint Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever by Jesus (Matt 8:14-15). The reasoning is as follows: the Apostle has a mother-in-law, therefore he is married. Yes, Saint Peter obviously married at one time, but does that mean that he is married at the time of his apostolic call by Jesus? There are women who pass away before their mothers and before their husbands. In some such cases the mother-in-law moves in with her son-in-law. This possibility cannot be ruled out. Even if the Apostle is married at the time of his calling, the Lord states unequivocally what is required to follow Him: to leave everything, including family and wives (Luke 14:26-27). What of the invitation of Christ to a continent life (Matt19:10-12). Further on in the same text renunciation of possessions is declared a necessity to be a disciple. It is in response to the words of the Prince of the Apostles that we receive confirmation again from Jesus’ own lips as to what they have sacrificed: lands, home, mother brother, sister, wives and children inclusive (Matt19:16-30). It is clear that the desire of the Lord is to have men who are divested of all worldly ties and responsibilities in order to devote themselves unreservedly to His service.

A subsequent argument by the opponents of celibacy is that it is an invention imposed by the Catholic Church in the fourth century. Opponents present Scripture and early ecclesial history in a manner that can be misleading for the ordinary lay Catholic unacquainted with all the facts. Major research has been undertaken into this controversy by scholars Cardinal Stickler, Father Cochini S.J., Roman Cholij as well as Stefan Heid. What they all assure us of is that continence is the norm for the priesthood both East and West from the beginning of the Church’s history. Among the aforementioned, Stickler provides the most succinct and easy to understand presentation of the subject. He demonstrates that if a man was married prior to ordination, both he and his spouse took a vow of perpetual continence, this applied from the lower clerical ranks up to Bishop. In the West, the Council of Elvira in the fourth century makes direct reference in Canon 33 to this renunciation of the martial rights and notes that this meant no begetting of children. The penalty for violating this vow is removal from the clerical ranks. If a priest violated this solemn promise and begot a child it was considered adultery. As Stickler points out, Saint Jerome — who knew many Bishops, Fathers and monks throughout the East — testifies in his writings that continence is the norm in the Eastern Church and that married men who were ordained would separate from their wives. The same Council Elvira, in Canon 27, as well as Nicea, in Canon 3, gives even further specifications: that a Bishop and priest is only permitted to have a blood sister, mother, aunt, or a daughter who is a consecrated virgin dwelling under the same roof. This excludes a wife.

Probably the favorite of all opponents arguments centers upon a Saint Paphnutius of Egypt called “a Bishop and hermit.” It is asserted that at the Council of Nicea this holy man pleads with the Fathers to not impose continence on priests saying that it is too heavy a burden to place upon them. He proposes to allow the particular Churches to decide on their own practice. Up until recently, this was believed to be a justification for the current married practice among the clergy of the East. Stickler, Cochini, Cholij and Heid all masterfully tackle this long-standing. The veil was lifted from this mystery by study into the Council documents, in which accurate records were kept of every Bishop present. Examination of the oldest texts revealed that among the names of Fathers in attendance, there was no such Bishop by that name. Stickler acknowledges that his name does appear in later copies of the Council’s proceedings but it is a contradiction because he was honored at the time of Nicea as a Confessor, not a Father. It is concluded that his bishopric was of the nature of a legend, a creation of hagiographers’ pious devotion.

The perplexing question then arises: If priestly celibacy dates from the Apostles, why is it that only in the fourth century do we begin to see actual Church law enforcing celibacy? A principle which must be understood is the following: the absence of a formal ecclesial declaration up to a certain period does not imply that the dogma, doctrine or discipline is not universally believed by the Body of Christ. In other words, controversy begets definitive pronouncements by the Church. The Divinity of Jesus Christ, his being fully God, was not formally declared until the fourth century at Nicea but the Church always professed this belief. The denial of this truth by the heresiarch Arius demanded a concrete defense. The same can be applied to Mary’s title as Mother of God. It was not formally declared until the fifth century at the Council of Ephesus, yet she was venerated as such from the very beginnings. Again, it is the refusal of Nestorius to render Mary her rightful veneration that prompted a concrete response. In this case, as Stickler notes, the Church made specific laws regarding celibacy among the clergy because of widespread abuses where the vow of continence was not being faithfully lived out. It is at this point that we begin to see one of the first rifts between East and West.

Eventually, due to these increasing difficulties and abuses, the Latin West began gradually selecting more and more candidates to the priesthood and Bishopric from among the monastics. Over a period of time, especially with the establishment of seminaries by the Council of Trent, the phenomenon of married clergy completely disappeared. As for the Eastern Church we have a very different response conditioned both by geography and politics. While the Latin Church had the great advantage of the central authority of the Pope, the East had problems attaining any kind of conformity in discipline due to myriads of regional Councils all making decisions in dealing with abuses and there was no one to give a definitive judgment. Added to these issues is the close relationship between the Byzantine Empire and the Church. This had benefits in allowing for religious freedom but often it led to the government interfering with the hierarchy’s efforts to properly exercise governing authority. Despite these influences, there is today within the Eastern Churches a large number of celibate priests, but, if the circumstances of history had been more favorable, the clergy of the East would be entirely celibate as well.

Ultimately, continence - celibacy — receives its supreme value from the fact that Jesus chose it for Himself and for His Mother Mary. This should not be brushed away as a mere coincidence nor should this way of life be viewed just as a “discipline.” This is missing the point. Priests share in the eternal priesthood of Christ and are Persona Christi, to be mirrors of His very Person not just in word and act but their very mode of being. The Lord came not to be served but to serve and to pour Himself out as a ransom for souls. By this charism of continence - expressed most completely and perfectly by virginity — the priest is poured out and consumed like Christ, not for a physical family but for the souls of the faithful. Of course, the debate on the celibate priesthood will always exist but for Catholics the best answer will be found by kneeling before Jesus crucified where virginity’s lasting value is silently conveyed in two words: love and sacrifice.

For further information please see:

The Case for Clerical Celibacy by Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler (Ignatius Press)

Celibacy in the Early Church by Stefan Heid (Ignatius Press)

The Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy by Father Christian Cochini S.J. (Ignatius Press)

Celibacy

After reading a recent post on Fr. Finigan's blog about a petition by priests in England and Wales asking the Bishops to end the discipline of celibacy and ordain married priests I thought about celibacy in other religions. As I continued to think about it I wondered why there is no public outcry for Buddhists to end their practice of celibacy and their "rigid" rules for seperation between the sexes? Where are the petitions from the monks and nuns? What about all of the married Buddhists who are being denied their "right" to become married monks and nuns. Oh wait, maybe it's because they understand that their's is a spiritual life, one dedicated to prayer and asceticism - and they willingly embrace it, young men and women, in large numbers. As are an ever increasing number of young men and women in the Roman Catholic Church.

From The Buddhist World: Lay Buddhist's Guide to Monks Rules

Relationships

Monks and nuns lead lives of total celibacy in which any kind of sexual behaviour is forbidden. This includes even suggestive speech or physical contact with lustful intent, both of which are very serious offences for monks and nuns. As one's intent may not always be obvious (even to oneself), and one's words not always guarded, it is a general principle for monks and nuns to refrain from any physical contact with members of the opposite sex. Monks should have a male present who can understand what is being said when conversing with a lady, and a similar situation holds true for nuns.

Much of this standard of behaviour is to prevent scandalous gossip or misunderstanding occurring. In the stories that explain the origination of a rule, there are examples of monks being accused of being a woman's lover, of a woman's misunderstanding a monk's reason for being with her, and even of a monk being thrashed by a jealous husband!

So, to prevent such misunderstanding, however groundless, a monk has to be accompanied by a man whenever he is in the presence of a woman; on a journey; or sitting alone in a secluded place (one would not call a meditation hall or a bus station a secluded place). Generally, monks would also refrain from carrying on correspondence with women, other than for matters pertaining to the monastery, travel arrangements, providing basic information, etc. When teaching Dharma, even in a letter, it is easy for inspiration and compassion to turn into attachment.

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Update: From the combox, I thought I should post a clarification of what I was thinking when I created this post - This post was not meant to be a perfect comparison. Rather, it was meant to highlight that there are other religions that practice celibacy in one form or another or at one time or another (particularly Tibetan Buddhist monks who most people seem to be enamored with, especially the Dalai Lama who is himself a life-long celibate). What I had in mind is the simple fact that many people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, see some Buddhist monks and are deeply impressed by their life of asceticiism and sprituality. Yet many of those same people look at Catholic priests, brothers and sisters and think only, "How could they give up sex?" I once took a group of nominal Catholic students (art class field trip to the Museum) to see Tibetan Buddhist Monks create a "sand painting". They were "blown away" by the monks and thought they were "so cool". They were very excited about Buddhism, their habits, their chants, their asceticism, etc. When I mentioned that we have monks in the Catholic Church who are equally ascetic they were not particularly impressed and eventually got to the point that Catholic monks had to be celibate, which in their mind was a problem. When I mentioned that these Buddhist Monks were celibate they thought that was OK because it was somehow more "mystical" in their minds. Obviously there is a much larger problem here, but it serves to highlight the disconnect in most peoples mind about the nature of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church.

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in the Irish Papers

Sorry for the no posts of the last few days. It has been incredibly busy since the return from the March for Life. It was a great trip. I had a few opportunities to catch up with old friends and make a few new acquaintances. It was great to see Stephanie with the Sisters of Life, and my good friend Dcn. Gregory Plow, T.O.R.. I ended up sitting directly in front of Sr. Mary Gabriel, SV, Vocations Director for the Sisters of Life, during the Vigil Mass and I also had a chance to catch up with Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR, Vocations Director for the CFR's, after the Vigil Mass. After the Mass I was humbled to be able to spend time with Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Zubik - truly wonderful successors to the Apostles. I didn't take as many pictures this year, but hopefully I'll post what I took soon.

Below is an article fromt the Independent in Ireland. I couldn't find the picture the writer talks about in the beginning (UPDATE: Fr. Luke sent me the picture below). The cartoon goes with this article. If you don't know already, the Friars really only locate their friaries in poor/rough neighborhoods. The story behind how they ended up in Limerick is an amusing one - another day when I have more time. However the rules are that if a neiborhood improves - they move. This is good article about the loss of religious in our communities/world.

It's last orders as the self is elevated over service
By David Quinn
Friday January 25 2008


The photo on the front page of this paper on Tuesday showed a smiling President Mary McAleese being blessed by a bearded friar who looked like a character from the Middle Ages.

The President was in Limerick to announce a scheme that everyone hopes will lead to the regeneration of Moyross and Southill, two areas that are usually in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Writing about the issue on the same day, child protection expert Shane Dunphy struck a note of scepticism about the regeneration plan.

He wondered whether improving the physical infrastructure of the neighbourhoods would really do much good unless their real and underlying problems were addressed. For example, does moving someone into a better house suddenly bring an end to their drug addiction?

To this effect he quoted 'Barry' from Ballymun, where a similar regeneration scheme has been in effect for some time. Barry told him: "My ma has a nicer place to live, but then, the drug dealers have better-maintained street corners to work off now, too. All they did was move the problem to a nicer neighbourhood."

Enter the good friar who blessed Mary McAleese on Monday. Fr Paulus is a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. As the name implies, they are part of the family of Franciscan orders.

The Friars arrived in Moyross to a considerable blaze of publicity last year. With their distinctive garb and trademark long beards it was hard to miss them, and the fact that they were moving into one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Ireland was bound to catch the attention.

They chose Moyross because they always opt to live in the most socially deprived areas and because they know that the problems faced by any such area go much deeper than the physical environment. To address them you have to lift people out of poverty itself, and not just through hand-outs but by giving them the skills needed to lift themselves out of poverty.

Those skills are not merely technical ones. They are also emotional, and spiritual.

The Friars are a reminder of what we are going to lose as the religious orders in Ireland decline precipitously in numbers or disappear into oblivion altogether.

The orders have received terrible publicity, a lot of it deserved, because of the scandals, but the scandals have caused an awful lot of people to completely overlook the tremendous good the orders have done, and continue to do.

One of the main reasons the orders are in such sharp decline is because they require their members to take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.

These vows could not be more anti-modern. Vowing never to have sex strikes a lot of us as being a denial of life itself. But maybe that's because we over-value sex.

And although the vow of poverty still retains a certain prestige, nonetheless it doesn't sit too easily alongside a hyper-consumerist society. As for the vow of obedience, that is completely rejected as a sacrifice of independence and freedom of mind.

But is that really what those vows really mean? The vows of chastity and poverty mean giving up family and money for the sake of service. The vow of obedience means giving up personal freedom, again for this sake of service. Viewed this way the vows aren't negative at all, but positive, in the same way that marriage vows are positive if lived out properly.

Now, ask yourself this question; are we better or worse off as a society if we lose all those thousands of men and women who have devoted themselves so completely to the service of others? The answer is that we are certainly much worse off.

On a purely practical level, the person who has taken the three vows will have far more time to devote to the service of others than let's say, me, or probably you.

Very few doubt that Moyross will benefit from the presence of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

No reasonable person can doubt that other communities would benefit if there were more of the Friars to go round.

We used to have such people in abundance and they worked in every manner and type of religious order. Often they were taken for granted. We thought they were a permanent feature of Irish society.

But now flawed thinking, closed minds and a radical shift in societal values that often puts self over service has led too many people to doubt that the vows which are an intrinsic part of the religious life are worthwhile.

Moyross does indeed need more than a brand new physical infrastructure to properly regenerate itself, however important this is.

It needs more people like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

These Franciscans are a reminder of what Ireland is about to lose as many of our religious orders fade into history, for the time being at any rate.

We should appreciate them while we have them.

Married priests won't resolve vocations crisis: Ukrainian cardinal

From Catholic World News...

Rome, Jan. 4, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has authored an article for L'Osservatore Romano arguing that an end to clerical celibacy would not resolve the vocations crisis.

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev noted that the Byzantine Church he leads-- the largest of the Eastern churches in communion with Rome-- allows for the ordination of married men. The marital status of priests does not determine the quality of their service to the Church, the Ukrainian cardinal argued. At the same time, he observed, the absence of the celibacy disciplinary practiced by the Roman rite has not eliminated the constant challenge of finding candidates for the priesthood.

A French Cardinal Agrees!

A timely piece from Catholic World News in light of recent posts about married priests - emphases mine.

Married Priests Not a Solution to Shortage, Cardinal Says
Paris, Nov. 12, 2007 (CWNews.com)

An influential French cardinal has said that the ordination of married men is a possibility that could be discussed, but "it is not a solution to the vocations crisis."

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray (bio - news), the former president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, explained to the newspaper Le Parisen that priestly celibacy is a discipline rather than a matter of doctrine. "It can be discussed," he said.
However, the cardinal voiced his extreme skepticism about suggestions that a provision for married priests would end the shortage of clergy in Europe. The fundamental response to that crisis, he said, must involve a renewed appreciation for service to the Church.

More On The Idea of a Married Priesthood

My recent post on an article from LA Daily stated "But the Byzantine rite Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which allow their priests to be married before ordination, get plenty of vocations." A Simple Sinner left a comment on that post questioning the veracity of that statement and pointed me to this article. Once again it is clear - Celibacy it NOT the issue. Emphases below is mine.



Orthodox Leaders Cite Shortage of Priests
Thursday, July 29, 1999
By Ann Rodgers-Melnick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Staff Writer

While the Orthodox Church in America is attracting converts, it suffers from a priest shortage and a clergy morale problem, its leaders said yesterday during an open discussion at the church's All-American Council.

The Orthodox tradition allows married men to become priests, but few American men born and raised in the tradition are seeking holy orders. Of 100 students enrolled at St. Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, N.Y., just one-third were born into American Orthodox homes. Others are former Protestants, Catholics and even New Age devotees. Still others are immigrants.

While more than half of the church's 13 bishops are converts, they acknowledged a problem and joined in yesterday's discussion at the weeklong meeting in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Some dioceses have salary requirements for priests, but many parishes refuse to abide by them, said the Rev. Alexander Garklavs, chairman of the church's pastoral care unit. He cited lay leaders who refused to pay the minimum because the priest's children were grown or because his wife worked.

Partly as a result, Garklavs said, an increasing number of priests prefer to work a secular day job and only moonlight in ministry. Or, if the priest's wife supports the family, he must follow her career from city to city rather than remain in the same parish for years.

It is not uncommon for parishes that lose a priest to wait years for a new one. The million-member church has ordained just 172 priests in the past 10 years and many of its priests are near retirement.

However, in a national survey of Orthodox Church in America clergy last year, low pay ranked only fourth on a list of frustrations. The first three were the laity's lack of participation in the liturgical life of the church, lack of spirituality, and failure to participate in adult religious education.

When priests feel that their ministry is unappreciated they "become stagnant and lose motivation and zeal," Garklavs said.

But he also called on the clergy to consider their own personal failings as a cause of the laity's alienation. In a profession where people regularly bow to kiss your hand it is easy to think yourself better than those you serve, he said.

In an effort to encourage older men to enter the priesthood, the Orthodox Church in America established a program with stripped-down educational requirements. Although this late-vocations program is popular, there are difficulties, said the Rev. Gregory Safchuk, its interim director.

Depending on the candidate's background and previous education, he is either required to spend two years under the tutelage of a local pastor or to write six seminary-level research papers under the direction of the late vocations office. Both types of candidates must pass a final exam. Further oral examinations are required if they choose to pursue ordination.

Candidates for this program need to be better screened, because too many of them are not suited for ministry, Safchuk said. The program has also been abused by younger men, or men without overwhelming family and job commitments, who see it as the easy route to ordination, he said.

Several delegates suggested that candidates who could not survive the financial rigors of the seminary would be unable to survive the financial rigors of parish priesthood. Currently, St. Vladimir's has about 20 married students with one to six children, said Constance Tarasar, a faculty member at the seminary.

"They are dedicated and they are under great hardship. If they can go through that fire, they will certainly be more understanding of their parishioners when they become the pastor of a parish," she said.

Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia, who is also dean of St. Tikhon's seminary in South Canaan, Wayne County, said parishes should financially support qualified candidates for priesthood.

"The church needs to look seriously at taking care of those who really want to serve," he said.

But many of those who enroll in the seminary don't come from an Orthodox parish, said the Rev. Thomas Hopko, dean of St. Vladimir's. In fact, some don't become Orthodox until after they are already enrolled.

For instance, two evangelical Protestants who were preparing for a missionary stint in Russia enrolled to learn more about Orthodoxy and ended up converting, he said in an interview.

Such problems are not insurmountable, and they are not unique to Orthodoxy, he said. Students at many Protestant seminaries enroll without knowing which denomination they want to serve, he said.

St. Valdimir's provides some field education for such students. But many learn the finer points of Orthodox liturgical traditions on the job, he said.

"The people help the priest learn the local customs or how to hold the candle at Epiphany. If the priest is humble, he will learn," Hopko said.

Celibacy is NOT the Issue - Fidelity IS

Celibacy has been blamed for everything from the vocations "crisis" to the recent abuse scandal in the Church.

A few of my thoughts:

• Other denominations are experiencing a "vocations" shortage, and in many cases worse shortages than the Roman Catholic Church. The Episcopalians are an example and they allow every type of person to live non-celibate "priesthoods". Women, married women, men, married men, homosexuals, and openly sexually active homosexuals. "Vocations" shortage just the same.
• Other religious denominations are hurt by abuse scandals as well, they're just not reported on as heavily as those in the Catholic Church. This is not to diminish the outrage that the abuse scandal has been, and the damage it has done to the Roman Catholic Church as well as the dignity of the priesthood in the eyes of many. It is to say that celibacy had nothing to do with it. A lack of faithfulness had everything to do with it.
• In regards to sexual misconduct and abuse specifically, the single largest group of pedophiles in the world, by a long shot, are married, or formerly married, men ("more than 70 percent of the males who molest children report themselves as heterosexual, and most are, or have been, married. "). The media simply ignores the plague that is sexual abuse in America. Best estimates are that between 50% and 66% of all adult women have been sexually molested or abused in some way, at some point in their life, with the overwhelming majority of those at the hands of men that supposedly loved them. Of those men, virtually ALL OF THEM are NOT "CELIBATE.
• In education the numbers are terrible, and again none of the perpetrators are vowed celibates: From a CNS Story: A national survey of 2,064 students in 2000 showed that 9.6 percent of public school students from kindergarten through 11th grade reported unwanted sexual harassment or abuse by public school employees, mostly educators, said Shakeshaft, professor of educational policies at Hofstra University in Huntington, N.Y. The survey, done by the American Association of University Women, listed educators as responsible for 57 percent of the abuse with the rest done by other employees such as bus drivers and teachers' aides. Regarding victims, 56 percent of the reported abuses were against girls. Regarding offenders, students reported that 57 percent were males. If the survey were projected over the entire public school system, it would mean that 4.5 million students are subject to sexual abuse or harassment by [non-celibate] school employees, said Shakeshaft. Shakeshaft said a 1994 study she did on disciplinary action against 225 public school teachers who admitted sexually abusing children in New York state showed a lax policy. Only 15 percent were terminated and 25 percent received no disciplinary consequences, she said. Of the rest, 39 percent left the school district, many with a positive recommendation to teach elsewhere, and the rest were informally reprimanded, she said. Experts studying child sex abuse often refer to the sending of child-abusing teachers to other school districts as "passing the trash."
• More on the subject of sexual misconduct in US Schools: AP: Sexual Misconduct Plagues US Schools Hat tip to the Curt Jester for finding this article, and inciting me to make this post. In his usual comic sarcasm his post is entitled: "I had no idea that ...
  ... so many teachers must have taken a vow of celibacy."

As I said, celibacy is NOT the issue, FIDELITY IS. What we need in the Church today are not simply vocations (and definitely not non-celibate vocations to the priesthood), but holy vocations, and in the case of the priesthood we need virtuous, heroic men, like the overwhelming majority of priests are, and have been, throughout the history of the Roman Catholic Church.