PENNSYLVANIA
The Times-Tribune
A third of the active priests in the Diocese of Scranton will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, sounding a warning bell of a leadership vacuum developing in the diocese.
In a video address presented during Sunday masses around the diocese, the bishop spoke about the vibrancy of the parishes, but acknowledged the Church needed to come to terms with it shrinking ranks of priests.
Among the facts provided by the diocese:
* In 1990, there were 316 priest in active ministry in the Diocese of Scranton.
* Today, there are 130.
* Of these 130, 16 are 45 years old or younger.
* Over the next 10 years, 45 priests will reach the retirement age of 75.
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