The annual report of new priests commissioned by the U.S. bishops shows that among those who responded, a shrinking number are white, a sign of the “little-C” catholic nature of the Catholic Church.
priesthood
English Police to Allow Priests to Give Last Rites at Crime Scenes
Police in England have produced national guidelines to allow priests to give last rites to Catholics dying at crime scenes.
Thirteen Priests in Arkansas Face Uncertainty Over Their Immigration Status
Thirteen priests from outside the United States ministering in the Diocese of Little Rock have had to stop working, and in some cases have had to return home, because of federal delays in processing immigration paperwork.
Angolan Priest Struggles Against the Invisibility of Starvation in Angola
Although a severe drought in southern Angola has led to widespread hunger among more than 1 million people, the government has taken few measures to address it.
Ukrainian Priest on Front Lines: ‘We Are Responding to Challenge With Dignity’
Ukrainian Father Iurii Stasiuk was appointed as rector of the Greek Catholic Church parish in Barcelona two weeks ago. Yet on Thursday, Feb. 24, soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, the young priest was on the first plane to Poland. After landing, he walked nine miles to Ukraine.
Celibacy Not ‘Divine Law’ for Priests, but Promotes Holiness, Speakers Say
The requirement that most priests in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church be celibate has theological and spiritual foundations and not only practical motivations, said speakers at an international conference on priesthood.
Vatican Statistics Show Global Imbalance in Ratio of Catholics per Priest
The number of Catholics and of Catholic men and women who devote their lives to serving them continues to grow in Africa and Asia, Vatican statistics show, but pastoral ministry is still much more readily available to Catholics in Europe.
Pope Francis to Priests: Don’t Remain ‘Barricaded in the Sacristy’
Priests must not shut themselves into small-knit cliques but instead open themselves to the world and make God’s love reach everyone, Pope Francis said.
Indiana Seminarians Chop Wood to Help Rural Neighbors Stay Warm
What does a seminarian do to prepare for priestly ministry? Pray. Check. Take theology classes. Check. Minister in parishes, hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. Check. Cut down trees and split wood. Wait, what?
Seeds of Priesthood Were Planted Early In Bishop Brennan’s Life
There isn’t a single day, or moment, that Bishop Robert Brennan considers to be his “calling” to the priesthood. Instead, he attributes that call to a number of smaller moments from his early Catholic life in the New York area.