As we speak, the Amazon Synod is going on in Rome. One of the central topics of this synod is the shortage of priests in the Amazon region. Some communities only receive communion two or three times per year.
Now, one of the big modernists at this synod is Bishop Erwin Krautler. He’s proposing nonsense like ordaining local men who are married to the priesthood. Even if Pope Gregory VII’s ban on Roman Rite clerical marriage were reversed, it would be extremely irresponsible to ordain someone who hasn’t been to seminary. A priest isn’t a sacrament factory. He must be properly trained.
Bishop Krautler also proposed ordaining women to the diaconate and was extremely embarrassed by Edward Pentin and Michael Matt by not being able to answer basic questions. So far, the liberals have been having a tough time at this synod. The charade in the Vatican gardens by Pope Francis earlier this week poisoned the well and really angered people. It put Bishop Krautler and his ilk in the hole before the proceeds even began.
Anyways, what do we do? How do we solve the priestly shortage. I’m only a layman but I’m giving my suggestion. I actually talked this over with both of my priests last night.
I would go to several Catholic countries with many priests. These include Poland, Mexico and several African countries. I would ask for 20 or 30 priests from each country. I would then ask traditionalist orders like the FSSP, ICKSP and other groups to supply five priests each. These would set up traditionalist communities in the big cities. Unlike modernism, traditionalist communities inspire a lot of vocations. This would create more native priests in the cities so they could branch out.
Last of all, I would put out a call for priests to go to the Amazon region. It would be purely voluntary but I think it would inspire some priests to go there.
In talking with my two priests yesterday after mass, I told one of them that I’ve never felt called to religious life but that if I lived in the 1500’s I’d become a priest for sure and join a missionary order like the Jesuits or the Franciscans that sailed to the ends of the world bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to people that have had no other hope. He pointed out that it would certainly have been an amazing time to be a missionary priest.
A small part of me wants to help them in any way I can. Maybe I can donate somehow. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to not have access to a priest for sacraments and hearing the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. America and English speaking Canada are about 20-25% Catholic. There is easy access to priests and Catholic churches. The big question in these countries is if you have access to the TLM and thankfully I do. Pray for the salvation of these Amazonian people and lets hope that their priest shortage is solved sooner rather than later.
The Church in the West is going to wither away unless we allow all clergy to be married. It’s not as if the Catholic Church does not already allow married priests even in the Latin part of the Church: there are many former Church of England vicars who are married and are now Catholic priests.
From my experience in England it is clear to me that foreign priests are not a satisfactory remedy, particularly those from the Third World, furthermore the reliance upon importing people from different continents they certainly are not a solution. Of the last 6 priests I have come across in my area only one of them was good (in fact he was outstanding and I even made an effort to travel to his church but alas he left the country). The rest have been hard work. In fact I fear that they may in some cases be driving people away from attending Mass. I am sure it is only a sense of duty that keeps people attending Mass in spite of the disatisfaction. It is important to have priests that are native to the country and who are of the people. The deacons that we have had around here have been very good, I wish they were priests.
So I also think it is a wise measure to encourage Amazonian priests, unmarried or married. After all the success of a mission can be measured by how the faith takes root among the people and produces their own clergy.
Christopher