Religion

Vatican upbeat on priest numbers

VATICAN CITY - Vatican officials sought Tuesday to correct what they called the "false illusion" that there are fewer priests, saying that their ranks were up slightly worldwide and that fewer seminarians were abandoning their vocations.

The Congregation for the Clergy said the number of priests dropped significantly in North America and Europe from 1961 to 2001, but that decline was offset by an even larger increase in Asia, Africa and Central America during that period.

However, the number of Catholic faithful has nearly doubled in that time to more than 1-billion, meaning the ratio of Catholics to priests has increased significantly.

Vatican officials stressed that their outlook was not as dim as some would believe, given that increased life expectancy enabled priests to tend to their flocks longer and that a greater proportion of seminarians were being ordained.

"I think the crisis has turned into a new form, according to the culture, and we have all the hope for the better," said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Congregation for the Clergy.

The upbeat assessment came amid calls from some that the Vatican should address a shortage of priests by relaxing its celibacy requirement and allowing women to become priests.

Pope John Paul II referred to the situation in an Easter Week letter to priests, urging them to be good role models for altar boys so they, too, may consider the priesthood.

He noted that the number of priests was falling in some parts of the world and that there were not enough replacements.

But he said: "In other places, thank God, we see a promising springtime of vocations."

From 1961 to 2001, Europe and North America experienced a sharp drop in the number of priests. There were 250,859 in Europe in 1961 and only 206,761 four decades later. In North America, the numbers went from 71,725 to 57,988.

But Asia, Africa and Latin America all saw significant spikes during the same time. Latin America added about 20,000 priests, going from 43,202 to 63,159. Asia had a similar spike, from 25,535 to 44,446, while Africa went from 16,541 to 27,988.

Monsignor Csaba Ternyak, the congregation's secretary, attributed the increases in Asia, Africa and Latin America to higher birthrates and the fact that their cultures "are less undermined by religious crises."

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