IRELAND
ObviousNews.com
Patrick Donnelly thought he might like to be a teacher, or maybe a chef. Then the Roman Catholic priesthood captured his imagination — an increasingly rare event in this former bastion of the faith.
In much of Europe and North America, there aren‘t enough Patrick Donnellys anymore. The winds of social change and sex abuse scandals have made the priesthood — with its lifetime commitment and mandatory celibacy — an unpopular career.
While the number of Catholics jumped to more than 1 billion around the globe during John Paul II‘s 26-year papacy, the number of new priests didn‘t keep pace. Reversing the decline among American and European men will be a major challenge for the next pope.
Posted by kshaw at April 13, 2005 07:44 PM