One of the chief arguments attempted in support of ordaining women and recycling priests who left to marry is the “priest shortage.“
The cultural chauvinism behind such a position is evident in a recent article in L’Osservatore Romano headlined “STATISTICS SHOW A STEADY INCREASE IN PRIESTLY VOCATIONS FROM 1974 TO 1994.”
That’s right. The number of students in major seminaries has increased worldwide over the past twenty years. Only in North America have the numbers declined dramatically.
Unlike other areas, where priestly vocations dipped to a low in the mid- to late 70s, then began to rise again, the United States and Canada saw a continuous drop-off in seminarians from 1970 to 1994. In 1970 North America had about 26 seminarians for every 100,000 Catholics; today, it has only 8.
Yes, it is a significant difference. But to put it into perspective, we need to realize that Central and South America, despite doublingand tripling their numbers respectively since 1970, both still have fewer seminarians per Catholic than North America. While the North American Church has failed to attract and keep as many priestly vocations as in the past, at 8 seminarians per 100,000 Catholics, it is not so far from the worldwide average of 10 -hardly enough to warrant changing doctrine (or even discipline) for.
It is worth asking why the United States has so few seminarians. Is it really that there are fewer vocations? Or is it possible that many authentic priestly vocations are being lost? In most of the world, the shakeout following Vatican II seems to have ended by the mid-1970s. But in this country, the unease continues.
It’s easy to blame clerical celibacy (although it doesn’t hamper vocations in the rest of the world) or the “selfishness” of young people-as if grace doesn’t have to conquer selfishness in every Christian. We don’t want to fall into the same trap of pinning the guilt on an easy target.
We do hear stories, though, and we have no reason to doubt their essential accuracy. We hear from distraught young men who have been rejected from seminaries for being too orthodox. We hear of a diocesan seminary which, for a time, was only “recruiting” homosexual candidates. We hear of a prominent Midwestern seminary where students are forbidden to kneel in the chapel, even for private prayer, and are required to use a non-approved lectionary for Mass readings.
It’s instructive that those religious-order and diocesan seminaries where solid Catholic doctrine is still taught and which affirm their loyalty to the Holy Father and the magisterium have abundant vocations- even in North America.
It’s not as if those who want to “improve” the Church would stop at women and married priests. Buried in their rhetoric are references to making the Church more “welcoming” and “inclusive” and “healthier” in its approach to sexuality. These are merely code words meaning that the Church should condone adultery, fornication, and homosexual acts.
Jesus asked those he healed to “sin no more.” Some people today want to cling to the deeds of darkness while passing themselves off as Children of Light, and they will apparently go to any length to justify their behavior.
Consider the Calendar of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Saints. Available on the World Wide Web, this document lists a number of authentic Catholic saints, together with supposed “evidence” for their “queerness,” complete with bibliographical information. As a research project, it is impressive; it must have required many hours to compile.
Despite the quasi-scholarly tone of the Calendar’s author, Paul Halsall, his end result is both laughable and insulting to the faith of Catholics. A few examples saints he classes as homosexual, together with what he offers as confirmation:
Aelred of Rievaulx, the great Cistercian abbot, included apparently because he wrote a sublime mystical work, On Spiritual Friendship.
Joan of Arc, because (you guessed it) she wore men’s clothing.
Perpetua and Felicity, because they exchanged the “kiss of peace” before their martyrdom.
John of the Cross, because he described the soul’s mystical relationship to Christ in terms of the bridal imagery of the Song of Songs.
Julian of Norwich, the fourteenth-century English visionary, because (surprise!) she had a man’s name.
Now this last one is really a hoot. Julian lived before English spelling was standardized. Most people today pronounce her name “Julianne” it was doubtless a combination of the names “Julia” and “Anne” — much as “Marian” is a combination of “Mary” and “Anne.” In other words, her name wasn’t a man’s name at all.
Since she was an anchoress — a woman hermit literally walled into a small cell connected by a window to the nave of a church — the opportunities for misconduct of any kind were limited.
Halsall acknowledges that few, if any (actually, none, of course), of the saints listed would have considered themselves homosexual, and he admits that, so far as he knows, none ever engaged in any illicit behavior. Still, he says, their “writings or actions show some aspects of life that lesbian and gay people will recognize.”
“Some aspects of life”? Hmmm. Like eating, sleeping, reading, walking? Surely, there are aspects of any life that “lesbian and gay people will recognize”?
Oh, but these were Catholics, and, Halsall says, “there is . . . an inbuilt ‘queerness’ to Catholicism: the distinct Christian teaching that gender is irrelevant to salvation; religious women going around with men’s names; an extraordinary number of men called “Mary” (St. John Vianney, for instance!); religious clothes for men which, when it comes down to it, are dresses; and a central service which involves the men present taking communion [sic] to put another male’s body in their mouth (the situation with women communicants is different, of course).”
It’s really lamentable that someone with Halsall’s persistence and excess free time doesn’t use them to learn more about the history and theology of his Church, rather than projecting disordered fantasies onto its holiest members.
Ever since we converted our library intern room into a hall for local seminars, we have been able to use it also as a chapel for Mass when we are blessed to have a priest celebrate for us-usually about twice a week. The decor is contemporary corporate, though. If you can help us make it a more fitting place for the liturgy (as well as for our talks), we’ll be deeply grateful.
Our wish list includes a chapel-size wall crucifix and a large statue or image of our Lady. Other icons or statues are welcome, too. We prefer traditional designs and are looking for good Catholic art, not saccharine representations. Perhaps your church or convent has unneeded religious art stored in the basement? We can promise it will be lovingly cared for.
(We also welcome relics. We have received several from our readers- Thérèse of the Child Jesus, John Neumann, and an early bishop named Constantine. We also have the True Cross, thanks be to God!)
Here in Southern California, at least, religious objects are a hot new item in interior design. They often end up in secular antique stores, which sell them for hefty prices as quaint objets trouvés for fashionable homes. We’d like to rescue a few from that fate. If we happen to receive more than we can use ourselves, we will find good Catholic homes for every item. If you have something that may be appropriate, please telephone us at (619) 541-1131. Many thanks.
If you will be in San Diego, perhaps you can attend one of our in-house seminars. You’ll have a chance to meet our staff, and we’ll have a chance to meet you. The seminars are given once or more monthly, but on varying dates, so you’ll have to call for times and topics.
From Alan Login, a convert from Judaism, comes this creative idea for family prayer time: the toes-ary (rhymes with “rosary”). “When we pray the rosary together as a family, we count the prayers on the toes of the youngest children,” he explains. It keeps the young ones involved. And it sure beats “This little piggy went to market.”
An advertisement appearing in The Dawn, a monthly tabloid, lists items produced at the Monastery of the Glorious Ascension. Included is this notice: “Cotton, screen-printed Burial Shrouds, with the Kontakion for Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in English.” (No shroud is offered for those who have fallen asleep in algebra.)
Correction: The e-mail address for the Catholic Faith List” on the Internet is jmh@io.org. The address was given incorrectly in a previous issue.