I have often said the American Vocation Crisis to the Priesthood and Religious was very self created. In my small Diocese of Shreveport Louisiana I have talked to at least three priests in my Diocese that said getting through Seminary was a ordeal. That basically being Orthodox was viewed as a character flaw and that well they basically had to be a tad free with the truth in their answers to several hot button theological issues to get the pass to get ordained. MANY DECIDED NOT TO PUT UP WITH THE BS AND LEFT.
If this happened in my small Diocese of under 50,000 imagine what it was like in larger Dioceses. In fact I had a priest tell me this to my that was set on the Vocation Board in the very much more Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge take pride in the fact this was happening.
It is all a tragic state of affairs that did not have to be. Tragically the American Catholic Laity was not paying attention
Standing on my Head reviews a book that examines this subject and also gives his personal experience at The Battle Within
There is a interesting discussion in the combox that the author is being a tad over the top. Perhaps a little. But in the end Dioceses seem to send "prospects" to certain seminaries. I would suggest that the Dioceses that having booming vocations sent theirs to where at least Orthodoxy had a fighting chance. At least that has been my experience after watching this issue for years.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Self Created Priesthood Vocation Crisis
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3 comments:
There will always be attempts to paint the vocations problem as a witch hunt on orthodoxy. I know several orthodox priests who went through some of the seminaries they are complaining about and knew some of the men these stories were about. In most cases it was not the orthodoxy of these men that raised some concern but something legitimate that is glossed over in favor of the "witch hunt" theme.
The recent Vatican review of seminaries (I speak of diocesan ones) in the US leads me to believe things are headed in the right direction. Also, I cannot complain about ANY of the new priests I know. Some may have bad taste in music :) but they are also very orthodox.
I suspect in 50 years when those guys are running the show we won't be talking about this but, as there is nothing new under the sun, Satan will have found a new tactic to attack the Church.
I agree with you that one cannot see this as the only problem. But I will say that talking to some priest up here and again seeing what I observed in the Diocese of Baton Rouge in the 90's at least there was a Theoligical Poltical correctness test that savy Seminarians had to get past
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