I read a statistic somewhere that under Communism (I don’t know if that has changed) 70% of Ukrainian Catholic Priests remained celibate.
I wish I could find the link.
Are there statistics anywhere on what percentage of each rite are celibate vs. married worldwide. I have heard Maronite Priest in Lebannon, it’s about 50/50, but celibate everywhere else worldwide.
I’ve also heard that G’hiz Catholic Priests it runs about 98% celibate (I heard this from a G’hiz rite Seminarian).
Are statistics available anywhere?
There must be. It would be interesting to pursue this when I have some free time.
I have heard Maronite Priest in Lebannon, it’s about 50/50, but celibate everywhere else worldwide.
Yes, that's about right. Speaking to the 11th General Synod Fathers, gathered for their eighth meeting at the Vatican (Oct. 2005), Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon addressed the issue, which has been brought up by many, particularly in light of the U.S. sex abuse scandal, of commonly permitting married priests in the Roman rite.
Vatican City, Oct. 07, 2005 (CNA) - The Cardinal defended the practice of the celibate priesthood and discussed the beauty of the tradition, calling it the "most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church."
While pointing out that "the Maronite Church admits married priests" and that "half of our diocesan priests are married", the Cardinal Patriarch said that "it must be recognized that if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."
"A married priest", he said, "has the duty to look after his wife and family, ensuring his children receive a good education and overseeing their entry into society. ... Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.
He noted that "married priests have perpetuated the faith among people whose difficult lives they shared, and without them this faith would no longer exist."
"On the other hand," he said, "celibacy is the most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church,"
Lamenting a culture which is all but outright opposed to purity, the Cardinal asked: "How can [celibacy] be conserved in an atmosphere laden with eroticism? Newspapers, Internet, billboards, shows, everything appears shameless and constantly offends the virtue of chastity."
Suggesting that their are no easy solutions to the problem of priest shortages in the Church--an oft brought up point during the Synod--he noted that, "Of course a priest, once ordained, can no longer get married. Sending priests to countries where they are lacking, taking them from a country that has many, is not the ideal solution if one bears in mind the question of tradition, customs and mentality. The problem remains."
My pastor's great grandfather was a priest but our priest chose the celibate life. The Maronite Patriarch honors the traditions of the west by only assigning celibate priests to the diaspora. At present, our bishop has 4 seminarians (there were 0 when he was ordained 3 years ago) and is expecting 2 priests from Lebanon. The Lebanese priests are multi-lingual and very orthodox in their homiletics. It is a shock when they see some of the scandalous abuses in the Latin Church.
I’ve also heard that G’hiz Catholic Priests it runs about 98% celibate
I'm not familiar with this group. Where are they from?