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The Tuth About The Priest Shortage.
Fellow Catholics, we at this website are sure that at one time or another you've probably heard it said that the diocese of Lexington Ky is undergoing a "priest shortage", you've probably been told that the reason for implementing the NEW FACES OF MINISTRY program is entirely due to the fact that there are just not enough priests to go around, indeed, The CrossRoads and even the Herald Leader have written articles on the alleged "priest shortage" in this diocese. The CrossRoads, not long ago in an issue devoted entirely to the NFM program threw out a number of only 35 active priests for 64 Parishes and missions! This number would no doubt, constitute immediate and drastic action as recommended in canon 517-2 which reads as follows:
"If the diocesan bishop should decide that due to a dearth of priests a participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish is to be entrusted to a deacon or to some other person who is not a priest or to a community of persons, he is to appoint some priest endowed with the powers and faculties of a pastor to supervise the pastoral care".
But are the numbers "truly" so bad as to constitute such drastic action? That, fellow Catholics is the "million dollar question" which we will be exploring today. The fact is that the number of diocesan priests, religious priests, retired diocesan priests, active priests from other dioceses not to mention the number of diocesan deacons listed in THE OFFICIAL DIRECTORY (OF 2002) FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LEXINGTON, is large enough to take up half of this web page if they were all listed by name! This is why we have opted to only list the numbers. here they are:
-40 active diocesan priests
-19 active religious order priests
- 3 active priests from other dioceses
-10 retired diocesan priests
-33 diocesan deacons
- 2 deacons from other dioceses
And so you see, according to THE OFFICIAL CATHOLIC DIRECTORY FOR THE DIOCESE OF LEXINGTON the number of active priests in this diocese is 62 for 64 parishes and missions (not 35) this is without counting the 10 retired priests, the 33 diocesan deacons, and the 2 deacons from other dioceses. Fellow Catholics, the notion that the NFM program is being implemented in this diocese because of a "priest shortage" is quite simply a "BLATANT LIE"! The "true" reason for the implementation of NFM is that there is in this diocese, an agenda that is in total and absolute contrast to the "authentic" teaching magisterium of the Catholic Church! Let us for example, take a look at what an official Church document by the name of INSTRUCTION ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING THE COLLABORATION OF THE NON-ORDAINED
FAITHFUL IN THE SACRED MINISTRY OF PRIESTS, has to say on the provision made by canon 517-2 and more importantly, is the hierarchy of the diocese of Lexington, KY complying with the conditions by which this provision in canon 517-2 is to be employed?
Article 4
The Parish Priest and the Parish
The non-ordained faithful, as happens in many worthy cases, may collaborate effectively in the pastoral ministry of clerics in parishes, health care centres, charitable and educational institutions, prisons, Military Ordinariates etc. Provisions regulating such extraordinary form of collaboration are provided by Canon 517, § 2.
§ 1. The right understanding and application of this canon, according to which "si ob sacerdotum penuriam Episcopus dioecesanus aestimaverit participationem in exercitio curae pastoralis paroeciae concredendam esse diacono aliive personae sacerdotali charactere non insignate aut personarum communitati, sacerdotem constitat aliquem qui, potestatibus facultatibus parochi instructus curam pastoralem moderetur", requires that this exceptional provision be used only with strict adherence to conditions contained in it. These are:
a) ob sacerdotum penuriam and not for reasons of convenience or ambiguous "advancement of the laity", etc.;
b) this is participatio in exercitio curae pastoralis and not directing, coordinating, moderating or governing the Parish; these competencies, according to the canon, are the competencies of a priest alone.
Because these are exceptional cases, before employing them, other possibilities should be availed of, such as using of the services of retired priests still capable of such service, or entrusting several parishes to one priest or to a coetus sacerdotum.(75)
In any event, the preference which this canon gives to deacons cannot be overlooked.
The same canon, however, reaffirms that these forms of participation in the pastoral care of parishes cannot, in any way, replace the office of Parish Priest. The same canon decrees that "Episcopus dioecesanus (...) sacerdotem constituat aliquem qui potestatibus et facultatibus parochi instructus, curam pastoralem moderetur." Indeed, the office of Parish Priest can be assigned validly only to a priest (cf. Canon 521, § 1) even in cases where there is a shortage of clergy.(76)
§ 2. In the same regard, it must be noted that the Parish Priest is the Pastor proper to the parish entrusted to him(77) and remains such until his pastoral office shall have ceased.(78)
The presentation of resignation at the age of 75 by a Parish Priest does not of itself (ipso iure) terminate his pastoral office. Such takes effect only when the diocesan Bishop, following prudent consideration of all the circumstances, shall have definitively accepted his resignation in accordance with Canon 538, § 3 and communicated such to him in writing.(79) In the light of those situations where scarcity of priests exists, the use of special prudence in this matter would be judicious.
In view of the right of every cleric to exercise the ministry proper to him, and in the absence of any grave health or disciplinary reasons, it should be noted that having reached the age of 75 does not constitute a binding reason for the diocesan Bishop to accept a Parish Priest's resignation. This also serves to avoid a functional concept of the Sacred Ministry.(80)
As you can see this document "clearly" states that the provision in Canon 517-2 can only be used with "strict" adherence to the "conditions contained in it". But judging by the fact that THE OFFICIAL CATHOLIC DIRECTORY OF LEXINGTON also contains a list of 12 non-ordained Pastoral Directors despite the fact, that we have 35 active ordained deacons (whom according to the above official Church document should be given preference over the non-ordained) should give the Faithful of this diocese much reason to question wether those conditions have been adhered to by this diocese. And we must also consider the 10 retired priests who depending on health or disciplinary reasons, retirement, should not be considered "binding" by the Bishop. And let us not forget that without the 35 deacons and the 10 retired priests, there are still 62 "active" priests in this diocese! Does any of this qualify as "strict" adherence to the conditions set forth in canon 517-2? We think not! So fellow Catholics, it all boils down to this: Adding the "official" numbers contained in THE OFFICIAL CATHOLIC DIRECTORY OF LEXINGTON, we have in this diocese a "WHOPPING" 107 ordained men For 64 parishes and missions! And so it seems quite clear that the answer to the "million dollar question" is "No"! The numbers are "nowhere near" as bad as to constitute the drastic action being undertaken by this diocese.
Now in light of all this, we would like to ask a couple of "million dollar questions" of our own: Given the "official" numbers for the diocese of Lexington, what is the "true" reason for the implementation of New Faces Of Ministry program, for it is painfully obvious that the "priest shortage" argument is, at best, nothing more than a smoke screen, and a very weak one at that? given the facts does it not stand to reason and common sense that there is an agenda by those in power in this diocese, and that this agenda would not have gotten as far as it has without the approval of the Bishop of this diocese? And finally, given the "official" numbers, what need of non-ordained Pastoral directors is there in this diocese, when there are "107" ordained men to go around? But you see, those who support the NFM program are obviously in line with the tactics of CALL TO ACTION and other dissenters who greatly exaggerate the numbers in order to advance their agenda of "reinventing" Church teaching. Let us use but one example, the following is taken from the book Call To Action Or Call To Apostasy (a book which we recommend, everyone in this diocese read):
Call To Action and other dissenters would like to give the impression that 20,000 men have left the priesthood since VATICAN II, most in reaction to the ban of a married priesthood. the dissenter's statistics are an example of "lying by omission". Vatican statistics show that 22,226 men have left the priesthood in the United States since 1968; however, 73% of these men have left the priesthood because they "DIED"! A total of only 5,950 "living" diocesan priests have defected since 1968 for all reasons-an average of about 200 a year-and no numbers are available from any source on the percentage of those who left to get married. In this case, the dissenters are trying to give a false impression here by "padding their numbers" with more than 16,000 "deceased" priests! This, fellow Catholics is what we are up against in the diocese of Lexington, KY.
God Bless.
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Double Standard?
On May 16th, 2001 the Association of Bluegrass Catholics invited Philip C. L. Gray, JCL to address an open meeting held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Gray is a well-known canon lawyer who spoke on the various models of parish ministry found in North America. He explained that the laity and the clergy have complementary roles ( how radical ) that together build up the Church and transform our world to Christ.
The meeting was endorsed by: Knights of Columbus Council 762 Human Life International
WJMR Radio St. Joseph Foundation
Msgr. Ralph Beiting, Retired William J. Smith. Bardstown, Ky.
Several local Catholics who attended, thought the presentation was excellent, informative, and absolutely orthodox. Evidently the Catholic Hierarchy did not approve. We have learned that the Bishop of Lexington was very upset and was not hesitant to express his displeasure. The Knights of Columbus was informed that if they hosted another such speaker, their status in the diocese could be in jeopardy.
Catholics In Action acknowledges each Bishop’s right and responsibility to monitor the "Catholic" activities in his diocese. But we must ask the question: Why is it only conservative or traditional Catholic speakers who seem to spur our bishops to action?
The June 11th issue of the Courier Journal reported on a conference held at Bellarmine University where 800 people gathered for a three-day meeting. The newspaper reported "Religion and environment will take center stage….for Earthspirit Rising: A Conference on Ecology, Spirituality, and the Great Work." One of the featured speakers was Matthew Fox a former Catholic Priest known for his heretical views. (Fox is now an Episcopal priest.)
This is not the only example of our local dioceses allowing seemingly unlimited access to unorthodox speakers and/or presentations where the truths of the Catholic Faith are questioned without any opportunity for a defense of those truths. Previous issues of this newsletter have reported on several such occasions, i.e. last year’s appearance of Sister Jeannine Gramick, sponsored by a committee of St. William’s Church. (The Chancery in Louisville was quite aware of this and made no public effort to clarify Sister’s anti-Vatican message. We can only wonder if the organizers were told if they hosted another such speaker, their status in the diocese would be in jeopardy.)
On several occasions during the past, Catholics In Action has sought permission to rent the Cathedral Undercroft for various Catholic speakers. Permission has been denied even though speakers such as pro-abortion Mary Jo Weaver have received permission to speak there.
So, we respectfully ask the question: Why threaten or chastise small groups of Catholics who are attempting to learn more about the truths of their faith and how to live that faith and defend it in a secular society, while allowing vast numbers of Catholics to be led astray by the public mutterings of those who do not and will not accept church teachings?
Source for this article is the Other side
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