www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Roman Dioceses move to ordain more deacons

Dear Brendan:

Thanks for the update!

Yes, our Memo!

(I am praying that paromer/Paul will follow your footsteps! )

And, Alex, too! (Oh, he wants to be a Pope, . . . er, priest, instead? Magnifico!)

Amado

Dear Amado,

I take it as a compliment that when I come up with these controversial thingies that you and others tolerate me rather than take my head off so I'll get into a pout and leave for a while . . .

A compliment, to be sure . . .

Alex

Dr. Alex, sir:

You are dear to us, one and all, that's why!

Amado

Dear Amado,

Oh, all right - keep your celibate clergy then!

I withdraw my objection, counselor!

Alex

Amadeus,

I may be in trouble. You are the third person to nominate me for the diaconate. I'll talk about it with my bride.

I'm not up to date on EC's in the U.S. ordaining married candidates for the priesthood. If at best it is spotty, then the EC's need to get with the program!

Then when we RC's see the good deeds of your married priests, we will storm the Vatican to get married priests.

I pray for vocations both East and West.

Peace,

Paul

Amado,

The RCs have a shortage of priests. That is true. But we do not have a shortage of priests. We have a shortage of proper deployment from what I can assertain. A missuse of the priests we have. Perhaps some of our older priests might be happy to retire if they knew that we had enough to go around. Then some who are waiting in the wings could be ordained. I know, I know. This isn't supposed to be known. But there you have it.

Dan L

Interesting that this article came out today...

I was travelling this weekend and couldn't make Divine Liturgy so I decided to go to St. Paul Cathedral's 6pm sunday Mass. I was surprised when we were asked to pray for vocations for the priesthood and religious life and "especially for the permenant diaconate". I was a bit shocked by that one, as the Latins have seemed merely to tolerate permenant deacons, and in fact, the Cathedral only just got their own recently (in the last few years).

How about that. Coincidence? I think not!

Oh, FYI: St. Paul Cathedral is the cathedral for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA

I just found out in the past week or so that our parish membership(includes 3 mission chapels) is around 7500 people, we have 4 priests and 2 permanent deacons...guess my head has been in the sand for sometime.

Heck, if I was a bit younger and ... nope, I don't think the Church is ready for a drill sergeant deacon...yet.

james

Dear james,

Four priests! Your parish is blessed.

Paul

Time will tell brother Paul, 2 were just reassigned here...the new church is scheduled to be completed in October, the exterior does not excite me at the moment...I am trying to find out on how the interior will look...that is my main concern.

james

There is definitely a shortage of priests in the BCC. Look at the geographic area, consider the potential outreach and mission activity, redeployment or whatever included, and then look at the numbers of priests. Pitifully short, I would say even more than the RCs.

The number of BCC seminarians won't even keep up with deaths and retirement of exsting priests, again regardless of how you deploy them, rearrange parishes or otherwise. It simply doesn't add up.

Our local RC archdiocese has more seminarians in its ordination class just this year than all seminarians of all years currently studying for the BCC, and it is not that large of an area.

We can say what we want to about "priests in the wings" or whatever other cryptic phrases that work - let's face some reality - these are not actual candidates for the priesthood as recognized by any bishop. That is the bottom line. What it is is a completely unknown quantity hinging on a lot of but's and if's, and is not reality on paper. It seems to me rather a sugar-coating for an immense, real, and present crisis.

But not all Greek Catholic areas are like this - in Ukraine it seems the seminaries are full, and most eparchies have parish posts filled, as it also seems also in the Eparchy of Toronto.

I would say so too. The statistics I have seen
for the Pittsburgh Archeparchy claim that the
average age of the priests is 69, and there is
NO ONE in the seminary. My pastor is currently
serving 4 parishes............

antonius

I would definitely agree with Diak and Antonius--

There IS a major shortage of priests for the Pittsburgh Metropolia. Even with re-alignments and closures and re-deployments there would still be a shortage. Not to mention the average age of the clergy or those that are ill or how many (younger ones) that have left in the last few years.

Not to be a nay-sayer, but looking at things through rose colored glasses doesn't work either.

Dear Diak,

There are married priests aplenty in Ukraine and they would gladly come here to serve Ukrainian and Ruthenian parishes!

But our bishops tend to be not happy about accepting them.

They say the cultural differences and mindsets are too great . . .

And I say . . .POPPY-COCK!

Alex