John Paul inspired generation of priests

Washington Times ^ | Tuesday, April 19, 2005 | By Julia Duin

[JohnHuang2]

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

ROME -- Among the crowds awaiting the new pope are Catholic clergy who say John Paul II was their primary inspiration. "The first time I met this pope, I was 13 years old," said the Rev. Donald Tremblay, a Montreal priest in town for the funeral and conclave. "I had goose bumps," he said. "There was an energy. He radiated. I told myself, 'This man is worth following.' " The cardinals failed to select a new pope yesterday during their first round of voting -- evident by the black smoke that rose from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel, where they are participating in a conclave to select the new leader. They will vote again today. Whoever is selected pontiff, one of his most important jobs will be to boost the comparatively small number of men studying for the priesthood -- 113,000 worldwide at last count -- to minister to the 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe. Only 4,800 of those seminarians are from the United States, the world's third largest Catholic country at 67 million

[NYer]

'This man is worth following.'

The cardinals failed to select a new pope yesterday during their first round of voting -- evident by the black smoke that rose from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel

NBC began their nightly news yesterday by commenting that "..... in an age of instant communication, the Cardinals will advise the world of their decisions by smoke signals .." The look of frustration on the faces of these journalists is priceless.

Whoever is selected pontiff, one of his most important jobs will be to boost the comparatively small number of men studying for the priesthood -- 113,000 worldwide at last count.

Selective reporting, as usual. In Africa, the seminaries are bulging with seminarians and the JPII effect has begun to strike the US seminaries as well, which are now attracting devout young mem.

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Desdemona]

NBC began their nightly news yesterday by commenting that "..... in an age of instant communication, the Cardinals will advise the world of their decisions by smoke signals .." The look of frustration on the faces of these journalists is priceless.

Priceless indeed. Truthfully, it's very funny to watch people used to access wherever they want to go grind their teeth at all the secrecy and closed doors of the Conclave. This is how it's been done for a whole lot longer than they've been around.

[Puddleglum]

You know, I hope vocations pick up. I think they will once the pink mafia who have been in power at so many seminaries die off or retire. I know at least two men from my old parish who got hounded away from seminaries by the libs - and it's not like they weren't made of stern stuff. But you take young men just out of high school and throw him into that kind of culture shock, and I give them credit for not being completely disillusioned with their faith. They at least had the sense to hold an objective knowledge of their faith up against shenanigans at the school and know which was right, and which was way off.