Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Incredible Shrinking Catholic Church
Catholic World News ^ | May 2003 | Kenneth C. Jones

Posted on 05/27/2007 7:17:23 PM PDT by Gamecock

The numbers tell the story.

Time magazine wanted to talk theology with Mel Gibson recently on the set of The Passion, his new movie depicting the last hours of Christ. Asked what he thought about the effects of the Second Vatican Council on the Catholic Church, the Braveheart of Catholic traditionalists said, "Look at the main fruits: dwindling numbers and pedophilia."

Gibson's post Vatican II ergo propter Vatican II argument would be enough to drive any high school logic teacher crazy. Is the Council responsible for all the Church's ills, including the priestly sex-abuse crisis, that have arisen since the Council closed in 1965? After all, many of the abuse allegations pre-dated the Council, and some of the most notorious offenders--like John Geoghan and Paul Shanley--were trained in the pre-Vatican II seminaries. Too many factors come into play to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Council caused the pedophile priest phenomenon.

But Gibson comes closer to the mark when blaming the Second Vatican Council for the "dwindling numbers. In fact he is being generous, because "plummeting  would be a more accurate term than "dwindling" to describe of the incredibly shrinking Catholic Church since 1965. In every area that is statistically measurable--such as the number of priests, seminarians, priestless parishes and nuns--the deterioration is obvious, and is the exact opposite of the trends before the Council.

EMPTY SEMINARIES

Beyond a vague understanding of a need for "more vocations," most Catholics are perhaps unaware of the disaster facing the American priesthood. After skyrocketing from about 27,000 in 1930 to 58,000 in 1965, the number of priests in the United States dropped to 45,000 in 2002. By 2020, there will be about 31,000 priests--and only 15,000 will be under the age of 70, according to a study conducted by Dr. James R. Lothian of Fordham University.

The shortage of priests has created a problem previously unknown to modern Catholics: the priestless parish. Only 3 percent of the parishes in the US--a total of 549--were without a priest in 1965. In 2002 there were 2,928 priestless parishes, about 15 percent of all US parishes. By 2020, a quarter of all parishes, 4,656, will have no priest.

As one would expect, the priest dearth has been fueled by a collapse in the seminarian population. There were 16,300 seminarians in 1930 and 49,000 in 1965. By 2002 the number had plunged to 4,700: a 90 percent decrease. Without any students, countless seminaries across the country have been sold or shuttered. There were 596 seminaries in 1965, and only 200 in 2002.

And empty seminaries result in declining ordinations. While there were 1,575 ordinations to the priesthood in 1965, in 2002 there were 450, a decrease of 350 percent. Taking into account ordinations, deaths and departures, in 1965 there was a net gain of 725 priests. In 1998, there was a net loss of 810.

RELIGIOUS ORDERS DISAPPEARING

The tragedy of the convents has been perhaps even more startling. A host of 138,000 sisters ran the Catholic education and health systems in 1945; their numbers swelled to 180,000 by 1965. In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average age of 68. By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000--and of these, only 21,000 will be age 70 or under. One does not have to be Chicken Little to predict that within a generation there will be no nuns.

The same is true for the once-proud religious orders of men. For example, in 1965 there were 5,277 Jesuit priests and 3,559 seminarians; in 2000 there were 3,172 priests and 389 seminarians. There were 2,534 OFM Franciscan priests and 2,251 seminarians in 1965; in 2000 there were 1,492 priests and 60 seminarians. There were 2,434 Christian Brothers in 1965 and 912 seminarians; in 2000 there were 959 Brothers and 7 seminarians. It does not require special training in statistics to conclude that by 2050, if these trends continue, the Jesuits, the Franciscans, and the Christian Brothers, will be the virtually extinct in the US.

Other statistics on the life of the Catholic Church in America tell the same story. At the time of the Council there were 4.5 million students in US parochial schools; now there are 2 million. Before the Council there were less than 400 marriages annulled by Catholic diocesan tribunals in an average year; now there are 50,000. Before the Council 3 out of 4 Catholics attended Mass each week; now the figure is 1 in 4.

Given these alarming facts, one wonders how a movie star like Mel Gibson can sense a Church in extremis, but the American bishops cannot. They know the statistics (which are published by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops), yet take no action to counter the catastrophe.

The bishops do not have a good track record when it comes to responding to crisis. Just as they showed no interest in the sexual abuse of minors--in fact they were sometimes complicit--it is a good bet that the bishops will neglect the emergency that threatens the very existence of the Church in the America.

[AUTHOR ID] Kenneth C Jones of St. Louis is the author of Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church since Vatican II, published by Oriens Publishing Co.


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion
KEYWORDS: bigshrinkage; bovineexcrement; catholicsindenial; fascinatedwcatholics; rcscanthandletruth; shrinkage; wishingitweretrue
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-136 last
To: dangus

Only because the “protestants” you speak of in Yoor-up are the members of the state Anglican and Lutheran Churches. Pentescostalism and Free Church evangelicalism is a western hemisphere phenomenon. Guess who is winning converts left and right in Latin America?


121 posted on 05/29/2007 9:32:49 PM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee; fr maximilian mary

Thank you, Father. Thanks, wagglebee. Father, my wife and I were profoundly affected by the work of priests for life many years ago. We wound up bringing our now-deceased handicapped son to Father Paul Marx’s place as we would volunteer and talk with Father and his people. This had a profound effect on me, a non-Catholic at that time. Decades later and hundreds of Latin Masses assisted as an altar server, I like to think this influence was huge.

Deo gratias

8mm


122 posted on 05/30/2007 4:27:19 AM PDT by 8mmMauser (Jezu ufam tobie...Jesus I trust in Thee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick
LOL, we had a young woman talk after Mass one day, she has a little girl who is a corker and a 6 month old. She was trying to recruit more people for adoration so that there would be at least 2 people at all times. At the end she told us when she went and warned anyone who volunteered for that hour that it would not be quiet because she brought her kids with her. There was quite a laugh after that.

We have a cry room but most sit in the church, when they cry Father just talks louder.

123 posted on 05/30/2007 5:21:23 AM PDT by tiki
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: Truth_will_rule_eventually
How do you know the decision is ours alone, without movement from God, if God makes vessels unto honor and dishonor, and the adversary sows tares that remain tares, Christ sows wheat that remains wheat?

124 posted on 05/30/2007 7:08:59 AM PDT by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 117 | View Replies]

To: tiki

Crying is one thing, but engaging in pitched battles with energy weapons is something else. Pat blasted Father (with a pocket calculator) one day. I thought I would die.


125 posted on 05/30/2007 7:36:25 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("Is there any extra food around here anywhere?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

LOL, I shouldn’t but I love kids and I love their antics. Sometimes parents are horrified but most people understand that children will be children.


126 posted on 05/30/2007 9:09:19 AM PDT by tiki
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: fr maximilian mary
A lot of links on vocations here on FR:

Cardinal Arinze - "Youth will embrace religious life with right role models"
Today's seminarians reflect growing trend
Number of Seminarians Increases - Please Decipher This!!!!
In Seminaries, New Ways for a New Generation
Seminary Springtime: Father Darrin Connall s Big Success

EVIDENCE GROWS OF DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE TO VATICAN IN MAJOR AMERICAN SEMINARIES
Pope to Church: Risky Seminarians Must Go
Priests Down, Seminarians Up
U.S. Priests and seminarians survey: more vocations in orthodox dioceses
Vatican Announces Surge in Seminaries during JPII Pontificate

Seminary Reform Needed in Wake of Sex Abuse Study ["the crisis in the Church is ... homosexuality"]
Homosexuals in seminaries? The latest.....
Priests 'In Orgy' at Seminary
Bishop urges gay ban in clergy; presses for overhaul in screening priests
A New Breed of Priest

AUSTRIAN SEMINARY SHUT DOWN FOR PROBE
Seminarians Show Support For Celibacy
556 Reasons for Hope [Seminarians Support Celibacy]
No Shortage of Vocations From Conservative Parishes
Oakland seminary housing sex offender priests

Phoenix bishop to helm Priestly Formation Committee [of USCCB]
Vatican Firms up Plans for U.S. Seminary Visitation in 2005
SIBLING VOCATIONS - Early calls led two sisters to same religious order
On the admission of homosexuals to seminaries
Catholic priests demand the right to marry

New Start For Austrian Seminary
Disciples of Pope John Paul (Faculty of Gregorian University Gripe About Piety of New Seminarians)
New Priests in U.S.: Older, and More >From Abroad (Survey Tracks Trends Since 1998)
U.S. seminarians welcome Pope Benedict XVI
Vatican review of seminaries to raise issue of gay priests

Some Decry Retirement Despite Priest Shortage
The Priesthood Ordination Class of 2005 “People would be surprised to know that I…”
(Catholic) Seminarians Double In 25 Years
Pope's death inspires would-be priests
Changes Add Up for Priesthood

Irish Bishops Apologize to Seminary Whistle-Blower
SIGNAL CALLING - UB quarterback foregoes family and career to train for priesthood in Rome
Pop Culture Heros Help Recruit Priests
Small Bible-belt (Catholic) diocese sees increase in seminarians
Dashing young priests turn heads at Youth Day

Vatican to Start U.S. Seminary Evaluations
Apostolic Seminary Visitation To Begin This Fall
U.S. Bishops to Begin Inspecting Seminaries
Prelate Says Gays Shouldn't Be Ordained
American overseeing Vatican evaluation of US seminaries says gays should not be ordained

Vatican to Check U.S. Seminaries on Gay Presence
POPE APPROVES BARRING GAY SEMINARIANS
Pope bans homosexuals from ordination as priests
Questions Arise Over Seminary Inspections
New Vatican Rule Said to Bar Gays as New Priests

New Vatican Rule Said to Bar Gays as New Priests (ABOUT TIME)
VATICAN: HOMOSEXUALS ARE NOT TO BE ORDAINED AS CATHOLIC PRIESTS
Homosexuals in the seminary; A Global Church in a Globalized World
Gay Men Ponder Impact of (Anti-Gay Clergy)Proposal by Vatican(Barf Alert)
Aquinas Seminary is First for Scrutiny

Vatican Begins Inspections At St. Louis Seminary (Rector: No homosexuality-pedophilia link)
The Sins of the Seminaries
Notre Dame Experts React to Potential Seminary Rules
Seminary Reviews Not Just About Homosexuality, Says Prelate
Jesuit Official Rips Expected Ban on Gays

Jesuit Official Rips Expected Ban on Gays
Jesuit official protesting expected Vatican ban on gay priests
A Catholic Moment of Truth
Gay Catholics Angry Over Seminary Searches
New Rules Affirm Pope Benedict's Stance Against Gays

New Report on Vatican Gay Priests Document Said to be Gay Lobby “Rumor Mill”
Gay men can be priests if celibate
Gay men can be Catholic priests if celibate-paper
No ban on gays expected in Vatican document; will advise 'prudential judgement'
African Cardinal Views the Vocation Shortage - With Full Seminaries, Ghana Shares Its Wealth

Keep the Ban
Today's seminarians: The Vatican survey
Lincoln diocese boasts highest number of priests to Catholics
Vatican Document on homosexuals in seminaries will be published tomorrow
Married Priests Aren’t the Answer (a seminarian states his view)

Vatican document restricts gays in priesthood: paper
Barring gays from priesthood not discrimination, say Italian bishops
Roman Women are Converts to Convents
Heads Up!! Zero Hour is 9am on December 29
Why I Thank God I Couldn’t Be A Priest

A look inside the Denver seminaries
Ordination Challenges: Out of the Seminary, Into the Fire
Vatican teams checking seminary effectiveness (in all, 229 US seminaries to be reviewed)
Seminaries Are Overflowing in Socialist Vietnam
Seminaries Full in Southern India (despite new anti-conversion law)

Ordination Class of 2006 - New Catholic Priests include twins, converts and some surprises
Twin ordinands, youngest of 13, credit parents for priestly vocations
Eleven new priests for Denver, largest ordination class in 40 years
Religious vocations can come from anyplace
Coordinator of U.S. seminary visitations expects report this fall

Continued growth for Australian seminaries
Journey of faith runs through R.I. (young Polish immigrant ordained to priesthood)
A leaf of Faith (Catholic convert enters religious life)
More twins (enter priesthood)
These twins are doubly blessed - Identical brothers from Erie to become priests today

New, stricter Priestly Formation Program issued for U.S. Catholic seminaries
O Father, Where Art Thou? (US catholics coping with shrinking priesthood)
Pope Tells of Key to Awaken Vocations (address to religious and seminarians at Vespers)
U.S. Catholic Seminary Probe Sent to Vatican
Homosems, A Year On

Vocations Are Up at English-Speaking Seminaries
Vocations Surge - The Priest Shortage Isn’t Over, But Seminaries Are Filling Up
To Know, To Love, To Lead (Pope Benedict XVI ordains 22 new priests)

127 posted on 05/30/2007 9:21:27 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: fr maximilian mary
There is one more link to post in this series:

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

128 posted on 05/30/2007 9:28:42 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: big'ol_freeper

>>Meanwhile the Catholic Church is the fastest growing Christian denomination in the world with an average of 250 million new Catholics annually...half of which are converts.<<

Please cite your sources. The figure (250 million per annum) you provide is, in my opinion, quite implausible.

Given a world population (U.S. Census Bureau estimate) of approx. 6.555 billion in 2006 and a natural increase (births minus deaths) of about 77.7 million per annum (ebenda), an annual increase of a quarter of a BILLION new Catholics would an extremely high rate of religious conversion (approx. 170 million per year), even if EVERY newborn were automatically baptized a Catholic.


129 posted on 05/30/2007 9:44:11 AM PDT by alexander_busek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek

See #43


130 posted on 05/30/2007 11:53:13 AM PDT by big'ol_freeper (It looks like one of those days when one nuke is just not enough-- Lt. Col. Mitchell, SG-1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: ears_to_hear
The truth is Catholic churches built to hold hundreds now have a handful at mass.

Which could be a good thing. Once away from the influence of the empty legalism and ritualism of Roman Catholicism, there is the opportunity to reach them with the truth of Christ, especially during times of crisis when many remember the great existential questions.

131 posted on 05/30/2007 5:16:36 PM PDT by Risky-Riskerdo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Risky-Riskerdo

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Risky,

As you know, God is love. And if we love Him we will keep His commandments. And that love will animate all we do since we will do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. I hope you’ll be open to seeing true love for God in Catholic Christians here at FR. I realize that not everyone here at FR is “friendly”. But I think it’s important to realize that there are Roman Catholics who deeply love the Lord Jesus and seek to follow Him with all their hearts.

God bless you and keep you, and let’s pray for one another.


132 posted on 05/30/2007 7:18:02 PM PDT by fr maximilian mary ("Imitate Jesus, love Mary as your Mother." Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

A 4 year old article?


133 posted on 05/30/2007 7:23:43 PM PDT by Patriotic1 (Dic mihi solum facta, domina - Just the facts, ma'am)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Risky-Riskerdo
Once away from the influence of the empty legalism and ritualism of Roman Catholicism, there is the opportunity to reach them with the truth of Christ, especially during times of crisis when many remember the great existential questions.

Each to his own, I guess.

I find the "ritualism" of the Catholic Church far from empty. On the contrary, it is historically, symbolically and spiritually rich. These are the sacred mysteries. The mysteries handed down from time immemorial. The mysteries in which the saints and fathers of the Church partook and which make Christ truly present. There is an incredible source of grace, strength and holiness contained in these rituals.

On the other hand, what I find empty is some guy in a suit giving me his take on a passage of Scripture or the superficial rock concert atmosphere which can be found in some church auditoria.

For me, religion is not about getting a "buzz" or the constant search for some new "experience". It's about an interior spiritual life lived in union with the crucified Christ.

134 posted on 05/31/2007 6:19:05 AM PDT by marshmallow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow
None of the ritualism and legalism will get you any closer to heaven than Zen Buddhism will.

Only fully trusting the Atonement of Christ to have paid the full and total debt for your sin will.

135 posted on 05/31/2007 4:15:48 PM PDT by Risky-Riskerdo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

THIS STORY IS FROM 2003....!!!!


136 posted on 06/02/2007 2:11:56 PM PDT by dcnd9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-136 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson