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DEAR EDITOR:
In 1984 I wrote this letter to the Catholic Exponent. I found it to be prophetic. An article "Priest shortage helps spur growth of lay ministries" may lead readers to think that the priest shortage does not have detrimental consequences on parish life. One must consider that the enrollment in seminaries has dropped two-thirds from 1964 to 1984. One priest of every three priests under the age of 50 during this same period has resigned to marry. (In my 1975 ordination class of 10 men, only one continues to be a priest. Five have died. Two left to marry. Two were expelled due to pedophilia.
So is it that young people are not experiencing God's call to minister? I don't believe so. Rather they are not experiencing the call to be celibate and thus are choosing an active role in lay ministry and the diaconate instead of the priesthood. American Catholics are open to see a change. A George Gallup poll in 1983 said that by a nearly 2 to 1 margin American Catholics favor permitting priests to marry and to continue to function as priests.
Theologically there is no reason that a change cannot be made. Jesus did not impose celibacy or maleness as a requirement for priestly ministry. Some may feel that the church should not change; the facts are the church is changing. The present shortage is putting more stress on priests today. There are serious problems with the Catholic Church's present stance toward ordained ministry, which needs to be questioned rather than endorsed.
JACK BANKS
Poland