Posted on 08/24/2016 4:57:51 PM PDT by marshmallow
Berlin, Germany, Aug 23, 2016 / 03:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The plummeting number of priestly vocations in the Catholic Church in Germany is raising questions about the roots of the problem, and whether the situation has been manufactured to promote non-priestly ministry.
According to figures published by the German bishops' conference, never before have so few priests been ordained in the Church in Germany: a total of 58 men became priests in the country in 2015.
Within the last decade, the number of ordinations has dropped by half: In 2005, a total of 122 diocesan priests were ordained. And five decades ago, in 1965, the number was 500.
Whilst there were almost 20,000 Catholic priests in Germany in 1990, today their number has dropped to 14,000. And this drastic decline is set to continue, judging by the figures: last year also marked the first time in history that the number of new seminarians dropped to double digits. Only 96 new students were registered in 2015. At the same time, 309 priests passed away, and 19 left the priesthood.
One Catholic commentator, Alexander Kissler of Cicero magazine, claimed that "crocodile tears are being shed in the dioceses. There is talk about changed conditions, crises of public perception, cycles of religiosity, the loss of obligation. Some contritely beat their chests and pull out dated scandals."
A deliberate lack of priests?
However, this is just a smoke-screen, Kissler implies in an article published Aug. 18: "Indeed, the lack of priests is deliberate. Priests are in the way of the new Church of Participation". The author points to the fact that the German bishops have mostly responded to the crisis twofold: By inviting foreign priests to work for them, and by abandoning the traditional parish structure in favor of larger "pastoral areas", which take.......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
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