Church Having Trouble Marketing Poverty And Celibacy To Men

St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, NY is having trouble in the admissions department.

Fifty years ago, several hundred men at a time studied for the priesthood. Today, only 22 are enrolled. In an effort to attract suitable men to the priesthood, the seminary is trying new marketing techinques. St. Joseph's launched a website called nypriest.com and the archdiocese is hoping the Pope's visit provides a shot in the arm. Asks Reverend Luke Sweeney, "How do we get the 'cool' factor back into the priesthood?"

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Atticusparis]

Yup, let priests marry and they'll be (still unwillingly) celebate within a week.

[Mort]

I'm glad the Pope is addressing the concerns of Americans. Takes courage.

One thing that would help, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, would be to change the doctrine on celibacy. Recruiting married priests would not only help curb the pedophilia problem but would better equip them to understand and counsel couples and families. Paul and others taught that ministers should be married and that forbidding to marry is wrong. The ancient prophets had wives. Even the Pope, in his address to the Bishops, quoted a scripture about it not being good for man to be alone.

That's my 2 cents anyway. And howdy to Ed and Bart!

[angryliberal]

Poverty and celibacy? Sounds like just about every married man i've ever met.

[eddiestardust]

Jesus said that his church will never die...well, it's been around for 2,000 years and I suspect that it will still be around until the end of the world.

Instead of dissing The Roman Catholic Church I dare you to read about our faith. You just may find in your study of the Saints there is a lot here that you don't know about....

[SaraPulis]

Friggin' HILARIOUS! Perhaps the very fact that modern, relatively progressive-minded people aren't attracted to an archaic lifestyle should clue the Catholic church in? ...Nah. They're about 150 years behind in every way, except in the papal bling dept.

[Steamboater]

It's no wonder the Catholic church has trouble selling especially poverty to those who might want to enter the priesthood. These men see the hypocrisy of the Catholic church with it's riches. While the Pope sleeps on the most expensive sheets in the world, costing thousands, the church heirarchy expects priests throughout the world to sleep 'comfortably' in poverty.

[GerryS]

if the recession gets worse, maybe some homeless men will be interested- the vow of celibacy is an empty promise anyway- look at the scandals regarding priests and sex!

[ejay579]

All of those who believe Catholic clergy pledge to live in poverty are misinformed. The vow of poverty is taken by certain orders, not by the clergy in general. The more important issue is the ministering to the faithful. One only needs to have a family member in a health facility to realize how few Catholic clergy there are. One only needs to have a priest attend a funeral to realize how spent they are. The number of Catholic clergy in the USA over the last 30 years has decreased from about 60,000 to about 40,000. If married men and women were allowed to become clergy there would be no problem. In days of yore, the Church imported the Irish clergy. Now there are not enough Irish clergy to minister to Ireland let alone the USA. Now they are importing clergy from Africa, most notablly Nigeria.

[cheesewiz]

Oh boy, here come all the creepy anti-Catholics who are just mad because the church tells them they can't screw all they want. What a bunch of weepy pusses. These same men wouldn't think of criticizing Islam which tortures, demeans and murders women by the thousands. Grow up and get on your way. Your sad little stories are getting tired.

[brainlego]

So if the middle-east is bad because all of that religion we should take marching orders from "our" religious guys and do what we're told?

[ejay579]

The Church can preach to us about morality? The church is the people not the hierarchy. The people are moral to a greater extent than the hierarchy. The church has interposed itself between the members and the members' God. Where in the Bible does it say that clergy is limited to males only? Trick question. Where in the Bible does it say that there is a clergy at all?

[ejay579]

I am against all fundamentalist of all stripes. Islam was found about 700 years after Christianity. Therefore, Islam is now where Christianity was from 1100 to 1300. You know, during the heyday of crusades and inquistion. Christianity wants to claim that it takes the moral high ground when in fact it is just another reflection of society at large. But due to education, society at large is now ahead of Christianty which is playing catchup. Good luck in the race.

[KPinSEA]

... and trouble marketing 'Superstitious and Crazy' to everybody.

[Mike169]

Celibacy might be a bitch but poverty! Where do they live in poverty? - certainly not Rome!

[Horst]

Muslims seem to have a better marketing strategy...maybe it's all those virgins you get for martyring yourself.

[CharltonHestonsGUN]

Make all these charlatan BuyBull thumpers go out and get a real job .........either that or start taxing the bastards.

[garbovatwins]

It is odd that the richest religion by your standard of riches on your world asks its members to live in poverty and celibacy. What a confused, hypocritical and unnatural thing to ask of another human, let alone the human male whose very existence is ruled by its drive of power and sex.

[rcampbell]

I have a friend who at one time considered the priesthood. He began studies to be a Jesuit. As he faced making the final committment to the three vows he decided to change direction and left the seminary. He said that he had no problem with the vow of POVERTY. He'd already grown up fairly poor. He figured his faith would see him through the vow of CHASTITY. But OBEDIENCE........ He simply coudn't handle that one.