The money byte I have below the title is the most common sense thing I have ever read from Sean Michael Winters and ever to be seen in the National catholic Reporter!!!!!!
Press the title for the NcR commentary from Michael Sean Winters:
What a new survey of US Catholic priests does, and does not, tell us
Here's the most important thing from Winters:
Most of all, conservative families still encourage and produce vocations to the priesthood. The Catholic left has failed by comparison to produce vocations, and some live in a fantasy world that thought fewer vocations would lead to a greater push for ordaining women. If the ordination of women is desired by the Holy Spirit, having fewer priests, and thus fewer opportunities for the unique grace the Eucharist provides, is not likely to help the Spirit achieve anything.
Something else is at work, however, with these younger priests, and I wish the survey had dug more deeply into it. I find that younger clergy are more focused on the other worldly promises of the Gospel than on its implications for social justice. Some are stridently political but the majority view their role as apolitical and see the church as a refuge from a culture that they find abhorrent in its excessive vice and luxury. They aspire to a simpler life and there is nothing wrong with that.
9 comments:
Duh, that's why we need priests like K gone so the Church may blossom again.
That hardly seems appropriate even given the context.
Nick
TJM,
Disgraceful comment.
I’m surprised Fr McD allows such personal ad hominem attacks on a fellow priest.
I acknowledge that I often refer to issues within, and without the Church, via such labels as "traditional," liberal," as well as "conservative."
I do so even though I recognize that the above labels are often useless...empty. Examples of that in regard to the survey in question:
-- Younger, "conservative" priests are viewed often as unrelenting supporters of the TLM. Nevertheless, the survey reported that in regard to 61 percent of younger priests, access to the TLM is not regarded as a priority. That constitutes a solid majority of younger priests.
-- Immigration/refugee assistance has been viewed often as important only to aged, 1960s "hippy" priests...not of great interest to younger "conservative/traditional" priests.
However, the survey reported that to a tremendous percentage of younger priests (74 percent), it is very important to render assistance to immigrants/refugees.
-- Poverty/homelessness/food insecurity...a "liberal" issue.
Nevertheless, 79 percent of younger, conservative priests view that issue as a "priority" issue.
-- 64 percent of younger priests grant priority status to the issue of Social Justice. I hope that that percentage will increase soon among younger priests.
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Younger priests are out of touch with the Church in regard to the lack of priority status that they have attached to Synodality (29 percent), as well as climate crisis/ecology (35 percent).
Pope Leo XIV just today, via his address to the Society of Jesus, emphasized Holy Mother Church's powerful commitment to Synodality, as well as the climate crisis/ecological issue.
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My overall view is that our younger priests are holy men. Deo gratias for our holy priests, regardless as to each priest's age.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Nick, maybe you should post at your true spiritual home, the National Anti-Catholic Reporter. I bet you also trash great men like President Trump and support Hell bound "catholics" like Biden, Durbin and Pelosi.
Perhaps once low information, radical reactionary, fake Catholics like TJM are of happy memory the church may blossom again.
TJM,
What a ridiculous thing to say on every point. I have no love lost for Fr. MJK and you know it. But if you want it to be TJM contra mundum, have it your way.
Nick
Nick, my point about that age group of priests, which includes, the Kster, is spot on. And most sentient Catholics agree.
I remember once hearing something about truth and charity. Someone important wrote it down a long time ago, I think. It’s one thing to go after ideas, another to go after people. But we’ll have to wait for a sentient Catholic to come along to figure that one out, I guess.
Nick
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