Reset needed to meet need

REv. Bob bonnot

By LINDA M. LINONIS

religion@vindy.com

STRUTHERS

The Rev. Bernard R. “Bob” Bonnot points out the numbers are what they are and “no silver bullet” will change the facts.

There are about 27,000 diocesan priests serving in the United States today. About 18,000 are in active ministry while the remainder are formally retired. Of the 18,000 priests, about half will be eligible to retire in 2019.

Father Bonnot used those numbers and others during a recent talk to the Society of St. John Chrysostom, Youngstown Warren Chapter, at St. Nicholas Church, 764 Fifth St., which is part of Christ Our Savior Parish with Holy Trinity Church, and where he serves as pastor.

During a phone interview, Father Bonnot addressed the topic “Does the Catholic Church in the United States Need Married Priests?”

He is a society member and chairman of the Leadership Team of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests.

He also wrote an essay about ordaining married men for Cruz, a website (www.cruxnow.com) that “covers all things Catholic.”

Father Bonnot offered a brief view of why Roman Catholic priests are celibate and do not marry.

“For the first 1,000 years of the church, priests were married,” he said.

He noted that most of Jesus’ apostles were probably married.

The change came in 1123 at an ecumenical council.

“Family inheritance and family and church property were issues,” Father Bonnot said.

Of 23 rites in the Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism follows the celibacy and no marriage rule. He said Orthodox priests marry and the Orthodox Church has “been able to manage.”

Father Bonnot said the situation is complicated and many factors are involved.

The presentation focused on “resetting pastoral strategy and ordaining married men.”

He said the shortage of priests is a factor that has led to church mergers and closings and will continue to do so. While the number of active priests continues to decline, the number of Catholics has grown.

Though an increasing membership is good for the church, pastoral care demands fall to fewer priests, who face a huge responsibility.

Father Bonnot said observers have noted that the church’s strategy in the United States seems to follow the “bigger is better” philosophy.

In the North, mergers have created mega churches along with closings. In the South, mega churches are being built.

Decades ago, these situations would have had multiple priests serving the congregations; today’s reality is one pastor with support by deacons, nuns and laity.

Father Bonnot said the practice of praying for and promoting vocations is not enough.

The reasons for few priests are many but among them are: fewer children in families, reduced number of Catholic schools and fewer Catholics attending those schools, more attractive career options in society and the Church and requirement of celibacy and no marriage.

The priest said he believes it is time “to explore expanded consideration of whom God might be calling and whom the church might ordain.”

He said the reality is that married priests already serve the Roman Catholic Church. Anglican and Episcopal priests, some who are married with families, have converted to Catholicism, been ordained as priests and “continued their pastorates.”

One immediate pool of candidates would be deacons in the Church.

Father Bonnot said there are nearly 20,000 ordained deacons in the church and about 95 percent are married. Some single and widowed deacons have been ordained as priests.

Father Bonnot speculated that if only 10 percent of the married deacons were interested in pursuing study to the priesthood, it would alleviate what he foresees as the “looming disaster.” “These are men of proven qualities,” he said.

Another suggestion is to recruit “international priests.” But, Father Bonnot said, that’s a bandage for the U.S. problem and only depletes the number of priests in lands where the number of Catholics is increasing or resurging.

Father Bonnot said Pope Francis has said he is open to requests from conferences to ordain “married men of proven quality to meet pastoral needs.”

The Association of U.S. Catholic Priests sent a request to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops but the organization has not called for a commission to explore the topic. “That’s where we are,” Father Bonnot said.