c. 2005 Religion News Service
VATICAN CITY _ As Pope Benedict XVI convened hundreds of bishops for the first synod of his young papacy Monday (Oct. 3), Roman Catholicism’s global priest shortage loomed large, prompting renewed calls for the ordination of married men.
Although the proposal is not expected to gain Benedict’s support, the fact that the subject resurfaced publicly underlined the desperate straits facing many bishops in some of the world’s most priest-poor regions.
In a 52-page report read aloud before Benedict, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice noted a range of issues facing the synod, including the concerns of some bishops who “put forward the request to ordain married faithful of proven faith and virtue, the so-called `viri probati,”’ he said.
“Viri probati” is Latin for “proven men,” a term used by Catholic theologians to describe older, married men who have proven their fidelity to Catholic doctrine through example.
Speaking at a press conference following a morning session of the synod, Scola appeared to reaffirm the Vatican’s long-standing opposition to the proposal, calling the priesthood a “gift” to the church. Addressing the shortage, he said, is a “very long journey” for the church.
Scola, designated as the synod’s official “relator,” will summarize the issues in a report for Benedict.
According to the synod working paper, the ratio of priests worldwide has fallen from one priest for every 1,797 Catholics in 1978 to one priest for every 2,677 Catholics in 2003. The paper notes that the shortage is most acute in Latin America and Africa where Catholicism’s growth has far outpaced its growth in priestly vocations.
Scola appeared to play down the extent of the shortage, focusing his comments on the significance of the Eucharist, the official theme of the three-week synod.
“The church is not a business that can determine in rigorous terms how many priests it needs,” Scola said. “How can we say in absolute terms if there are enough or not enough priests?”
Sitting one seat away from Scola at the press conference, Bishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle of Imus, Philippines, gave a blunt illustration of the crisis.
“Let me make a confession here. And I know our canon lawyers will get mad,” Tagle said. “The first Sunday after my ordination as a priest I said nine Masses, and that is regular in the Philippines.”
In an apparent rebuttle of Scola’s remarks, Tagle added: “In the absence of the priest there is no Eucharist. We should face squarely the issue of the shortage of priests.”
Due to the lack of priests, the distribution of hosts by lay people has become commonplace in the Philippines, Tagle reported. Although priests consecrate the hosts, he said, the involvement of lay people in their distribution undercuts their sacramental value.
Catholics believe that the body and blood of Christ are literally present in the bread and wine distributed at Mass.
Although the synod working paper cites concerns that belief in the Eucharist is fading among Catholics in the developing world, the church regards Communion as the underpinning of its teachings on morality.
Bishops attending the synod are expected to debate whether Communion should be denied to Catholic politicians who legislate in contradiction of church teaching on such issues as abortion, stem-cell research and gay marriage.
MO/PH END RNS
