Why is the Roman Catholic Church having trouble with Vocations?

Question

Every time I attend Mass at OLC, the Franciscan leads a Prayer for Vocations.

Are the type of guys that usually become priests instead "teaching English" in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia?

Would the Romans do better if they eliminated girls as acolytes, thus having the Priesthood become attractive again to their traditional base?

Fr. Joseph, I am sorry someone used this question to attack through their answer.

People vileness never ceases to amaze me.

Answer 1

It's probably their benefit plan...........not enough sick time perhaps.

Oh wait.....you said "VOcations".........

Answer 2

It's not. The trend in vocations is increasing after a long decline. There has been a 19% increase in those entering religious life in the past three years (as of February 2007), a number which includes both priests and women religious.

In the priesthood alone, the National Catholic Register earlier this year reported a vocation "surge", noting that surprisingly "the largest number of priests per capita are coming from the Midwest and the southern United States", although as expected the heavily Catholic dioceses such as Boston, Chicago, St. Paul/Minneapolis, etc., continue to have the largest ordination classes.

71 percent of religious communities in the U.S. have reported a continuing increase in the number of people inquiring about entering religious life.

Answer 3

Actually in some places there are an over abundance of people seeking the priesthood. I think the real problem in the US is because of secular humanist educations which teaches to help the trees rather than one's fellow man.

Someone took this opportunity to attack the celibate priesthood as if it is forbidden in the Bible, quoting an out of context verse for his/her support, ignoring that so many of the 70 and the 12 were celibate as well as St. Paul and Jesus Himself. Surely these are examples worthy of note destroying any notion that the Bible teaches that one MUST be married. Certainly the Bible teaches that celibacy is an honorable and proper discipline for those in obedience to God. May the Lord have mercy on those who use His Word to attack His Church and faithful.

(2Ti 4:3 DRB) For there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears:

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 4

The bible says the "overseer" (means pastor, priest, biship, elder) Needs to be married to one wife, and have kids. Maybe the RCC needs to follow the bible more and that would attract more overseers.

1 tim 3:
1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Answer 5

Another attack - such a Christian you are, O'Brien!!


And why would you be attending Mass?? I don't believe you.

Answer 6

notice the word traditions

Answer 7

Maybe they should let the poor guys have sex?