For Immediate Release

Contact:
Sr. Christine Schenk, (FutureChurch)
216-228-0869 ext.4 (office)
216-513-3647 (U.S. cell)
chris@futurechurch.org

FutureChurch Applauds Possible Return of Married Priests

“We are delighted that the Vatican is considering permitting married priests to return to active ministry.  Our Catholic people will welcome them with open arms.” said Sr. Christine Schenk executive director of FutureChurch.  Schenk was responding to reports that Pope Benedict has called for a meeting on Thursday, November 16 to discuss possible readmission to ministry and dispensation of the celibacy vow for priests who have left.

A year ago, Schenk lobbied the International Synod on The Eucharist asking for open discussion of mandatory celibacy and women deacons.  Even though four of the synod’s twelve working groups wanted to study married priests, the final proposition affirmed the current discipline of mandatory celibacy.

“At the synod there was much talk of allowing “viri probati” (“tested men”) to perform priestly functions, said Schenk,  “I can’t imagine who would be more fit to serve the people of God than men who have already served them faithfully for many years and then were called to marriage. For these men, marriage will only enhance their priestly ministry. We must also work to enfranchise the tens of thousands of women ministering in the Church.”

FutureChurch, in partnership with Call To Action conducted a three-year campaign to get the priest shortage on the agenda of Eleventh General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops  held in Rome October 2-23, 2005.

The groups collected 35,000 signatures on a petition asking the synod to discuss mandatory celibacy and female deacons as possible solutions to the priest shortage. They also surveyed over 15,000 priests in 58 U.S. dioceses and found 67% believe mandatory celibacy should be discussed. A number of priests surveyed spontaneously  commented that roles for women ministers should be expanded to include ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. (Results and priest comments available at www.futurechurch.org).  

FutureChurch is spearheading a national coalition of Catholic groups and lay leaders who have endorsed and are circulating a statement listing eight “best practices” for keeping parishes open in the midst of a steadily worsening U.S. priest shortage.  (see http://www.futurechurch.org/sopc/donotstiflethespirit.htm)

Because of the priest shortage, U.S. dioceses will be forced to reconfigure parishes for the foreseeable future. According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 75% of the 18,000 active diocesan priests in the U.S. are over 55 years old, but the U.S. is only ordaining about 350 new diocesan priests each year. In 20 years, presuming ordinations remain constant, the U.S. could have as few as 11,500 active diocesan priests for our 19,000 parishes. At the same time, numbers of deacons and paid lay ministers have increased significantly to 14,000 and 30,000 respectively. Presently "parish life coordinators" are pastoring an estimated 600 U.S. parishes.

The statement, “Do Not Stifle the Spirit!” (Thess 5:19)  cites the positive example of eight U.S. dioceses that “chose creative solutions such as entrusting the pastoral care of several parishes to one priest, to a team of priests, or to competent lay ecclesial ministers, deacons and religious.”

The Do Not Stifle the Spirit! statement is part of FutureChurch's new Save Our Parish Community effort designed to provide educational and organizing resources to Catholics who want to be proactive about parish closings, as well as those discerning an appropriate response to diocesan decisions to close or merge their vibrant, solvent, and apostolically effective parish.
(http://www.futurechurch.org/sopc/index.htm)  It also educates about effective diocesan processes already in use (http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/vibrantparishlife) that invite parishioner involvement in deciding the future of their parish.

FutureChurch is a coalition of parish centered Catholics who seek the full participation of all Catholics in the life of the Church. It strives to educate fellow Catholics about the seriousness of the priest shortage, the centrality of the Eucharist (the Mass), and the systemic inequality of women in the Catholic Church. FutureChurch calls for opening ordination to all those called to it rather than lose the Eucharist as the center of Catholic worship and seeks to participate in formulating and expressing the Sensus Fidelium (the Spirit inspired beliefs of the faithful) through open, prayerful and enlightened dialogue with other Catholics locally and globally.

For Official Catholic Directory statistics for every U.S. diocese, and results of our survey of priests in 58 U.S. dioceses visit www.futurechurch.org

FutureChurch
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216-228-0869