Posted on 03/18/2013 9:12:10 AM PDT by marshmallow
There has been a sharp rise in the number of young men training to become Catholic priests, reports the ABC.
In the past five years, seminary enrolments in Australia have risen from about 235 a year in 2007 to 350 in 2012.
Queensland rector Monsignor Tony Randazzo says his seminary is busier than it has been for two decades.
"It's indicative that young people are coming forward enthusiastically to give themselves for a life in service in the church," he said.
"Young people have embraced the gospel in a new kind of way."
While Benedict XVI's tenure as Pope was beset by sexual abuse scandals, the issue does not seem to have done anything to stop men from devoting their lives to the church.
(Excerpt) Read more at cathnews.com ...
If I hadn’t married recently and was otherwise unattached, I would have seriously considered going back to the seminary to become a priest.
This Pope is absolutely energizing to younger Catholics.
“While Benedict XVI’s tenure as Pope was beset by sexual abuse scandals]...................
This is a lie that is being repeated again and again. The bulk of the sexual scandals were in the 1990’s as that is when the issue rally came to light and was exposed as the sinfulness of a small segment of the clergy, the erroneous belief, at first, that the offenders could be cured by attending some sort of psychlogical course; the subsequent reassigning of the majority of them back into parishes; and finally the utter incredulous lack of seeming concern for the victims and their families.
Most of the transgressions occured between 1960’s-1980’s, at the begining of the”age of free love”, and the so-called age of Aquarius. Pope John Paul II was a good man, but he was not inclined to believe the accusations against priests because he had experienced a lot of false accusations from the ruling Coommunists against priests whenever an outspoken priest gave the political class any grief. I can remember reading that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became aware of the broad spectrum of abuse within the clerical class and tried to convince Pope JPII that is was not a case of false accusations, but JPII was not very receptive to this news. In truth, Pope JPII suffered from Parkinsons for some time before it took his life, and one of the symptoms of advanced Parkinsons is a bit of dementia. I wonder if Pope Benedict did not take that into consideration when he realized he himself was becoming more frail due to his age.
It is unfair to put this issue at the feet of Pope Benedict. He did a lot to clean house, removing bishops and replacing them with holy men of God. A good example is in Milwaukee when he replaced Rembert Weakland with Timothy Dolan!! The folks in Milwaukee breathed a sigh of relief, only to lose their beloved Archbishop to NYC! Fortunately they have a good archbishop now too.
Here in Minnesota, when the current Archbishop of St Paul-Minneapolis was appointed several years ago, John Nienstadt was installed much to the irritation of liberal Catholics. You see, he had been Bishop of New Ulm, MN and had a reputation for “orthodoxy”. The liberals at St Thomas University in St Paul decided that they did not want to be under the authority of the Archbishop of St Paul-Mpls anymore, and the Board of Directors voted to dissolve their relationship with the diocese. That tells you everything! Although St Thomas still has a reputation for excellent scholorship, I would hesitate to say it is still Catholic.
Traditional Catholicism Is Winning
Number of Priests Worldwide Continues Steady Increase (and other good news!)
Ordained as Priest After Wife Died
What the heck is a cardinal, anyway?
Catholic Word of the Day: TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE, 12-07-11
"The Dignity and Duties of the Priest" (excerpt) by St. Alphonsus Liguori [Catholic Caucus]
Charisma, Conservatism Gifts of Newest Priests
"The Dignity and Duties of the Priest" (excerpt) by St. Alphonsus Liguori [Catholic Caucus]
On the Catholic Priesthood, AD CATHOLICI SACERDOTII, Encyclical (Long) [Catholic Caucus]
Meet The U.S.’s Largest Ordination Class
The FSSP Experiences Tremendous Growth
Survey Indicates Increase in Inquiries For The Priesthood and Religious Life
Young Catholics Hear Call to Serve
US Dominican Province Welcomes Its Biggest Class of Novices in Decades
It Was the Rosary: Mainz Priest Talks About His Vocation
The Priesthood (Holy Orders) [Catholic Caucus]
[CATHOLIC / ORTHODOX CAUCUS] The priesthood: the love of the Heart of Jesus
More Heeding The Call to Priesthood at Menlo Park Seminary
Nephew of slain Germantown priest follows uncle's path
On the menu: the priesthood
Of priests and possible priests to be
Priests are a gift from the Heart of Christ, Pope Benedict says
Convert looks forward to serving God in unique way [Father Doug Piece]
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Opportunities of Grace: [Holy] Orders
From Krishna to Christ: The Conversion Testimony of Father Jay Kythe
'Come Follow Me': Grant Desme Lays Aside Baseball Career and Responds
A's MVP Desme retires for priesthood [ Grant Desme]
THE PRIESTHOOD DEBATE
Faith Journey Leads United Methodist from Pastorate to Catholic Priesthood
Former Protestant Minister Pursues Priesthood
Married man to be ordained (RC) priest [Ecumenical]
A Father and Son Swim the Tiber and become Priests [Ecumenical]
Cardinal Arinze discusses the priestly vows of obedience, poverty and chastity (Catholic Caucus)
Pope Gives Key to Being Highly Effective Priests [Ecumenical]
Priests: Ordinary Men Made Extraordinary by Grace [Holy Orders/Chrism Mass]
7 Reasons To Be a Priest
The Nature of Priestly Ordination: Theological Background and Some Present Concerns
The Priesthood of Jesus Christ - Body and Blood (Confessional ... Consecration ... and Calvary)
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Priesthood (Holy Orders) [Catholic-Orthodox Caucus]
What You {Catholics} Need to Know: Celibacy [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
New priest finds joy in sacrifice
No shortage of priests in Atlanta, more than 50 seminarians
Debt, the Vocation Killer [Catholic Caucus]
Identical twins become Green Bay priests
A Modern Roman Rite Priest reports on Classical Roman Rite Training
Number of new priests expected to rise in 2007
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother [Part One of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
It Takes a Village of Vocations [Part Two of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
Living Single and Celibate in God’s Service [Part Three of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
Brothers and Sisters in Christ [Part Four of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
The Adventure of the Priesthood [Part Five of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
This Is the Body of Christ [Part Six of a series on Celibacy and Vocations] -- Catholic Caucus
14 men are ordained into the priesthood (at St. Patrick's Cathedral NYC)
To Know, To Love, To Lead (Pope Benedict XVI ordains 22 new priests)
The Indispensable Priesthood -- Holy Thursday, [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part Three[Cath/Orth/Angl Caucus]
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part Two
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part One [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Vatican Said (Again!) Not Revising Celibacy Rule
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
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