American Catholic priests are suffering from a whole lot of things, according to the Nov. 23 issue of Commonweal, the American journal of opinion edited and published by lay Catholics since 1924. The Rev. Paul Stanosz, a priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee since 1984 and author of The Struggle for Celibacy: The Culture of Catholic Seminary Life, writes a lengthy commentary, Why Priests Are Coping Poorly.
Part of it counts off a spiraling batch of issues, such as overwork, some disciplines and practices not attuned to 21st century ministry, or the daunting work that seminaries dont prepare priests for. So much revolves around how few they are in number and how much they are asked to do to keep their parishes going. Among priests, he says, there is much talk of high stress, poor health and low morale. He talks of burnout, heart attacks and premature death and two of the priests of his jurisdiction committed suicide in recent years.
Too many young priests are immediately thrust into parishes out of seminary where they are overwhelmed by the daunting and unfamiliar tasks and challenges, he notes. And a malaise hangs over the priesthood because of the stress, internal conflicts and struggles about whether to continue their sacred call or just bale. (www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php3?id_article=2068)
As I see it, the greatest threat to priests well-being is denial, he concludes. We priests know we are in trouble, even if bishops are reluctant to admit it. The problems are embodied in the worn, torn, aging and overweight colleagues I observed in my dioceses recent assembly of priests, Stanosz writes. The crisis is right there in front of us, and the forced optimism of those afraid of appearing insufficiently orthodox or disloyal to Rome strikes me as a failure of perception, honesty and faith.
Pretty candid from a working priest in America today. We Protestants cannot help thinking that the church brings it on itself, with its strict limits, with it foisting so many specific duties on only men, on only single, celibate men, and for shutting out the talented laity from greater decision-making and roles. I have to believe faithful Catholics, living today, are deprived of some of the fullness of their spiritual experience by unavailable and sleep-deprived priests, limited Eucharist schedules and repeated messages left in a pastors voice mails.
Stanosz, who is also a sociologist, tells how his Milwaukee archdiocese has had to close its 151-year-old seminary on 44 acres to pay for legal and financial claims related to clergy sexual abuse, while bankruptcy looms. He has observed polarization between older and younger priests so-called Vatican II priests and the newer John Paul II priests ordained since 1978.
The writer took up his archbishops suggestion and has lent his help to an archdioceses new wellness committee to promote priests well-being. He finds priests cannot easily put their fingers on what troubles them. Some must confront issues before they can even go forward with resolving disheartenment. Stanosz shares that the vicar of the clergy even bluntly acknowledged that the wheels are falling off the wagon as issues mount for priests.
Recruiting men for seminary, in the face of massive demands for priests, is among the hardest tasks. He worries that seminaries are getting fervent men who may not have genuine vocations. So they have a new breed of unsuitable candidates with poor relational and leadership skills.
Stanoszs research has found many who see the priesthood as a refuge from a depraved, secular world, a place where their personal limitations and modest abilities are no obstacle to advancement. Once they gain a sense of their own sacred status, they are more likely to become unhappy and disgruntled when their sense of chosenness and elevated status cannot sustain them through the real challenges of ministry. One study found that one in seven priests resigns within five years. The unhappiness has also led to breaking vows of celibacy and getting into addictions, he writes.
The Wisconsin priest calls on the church to better understand modern American Catholics who forgo Sunday Mass for soccer and shopping. These competing influences are not easily overcome by the latest chancery or central-office program for increasing Mass attendance, evangelization, vocations and stewardship. Stanosz tells of priests dutifully implementing their bishops latest new programs geared to stop laity apathy and weak attendance. They feel frustrated when the end result is the same: the people arent filling up the pews or supporting the church financially.
If John Paul II, with all his vision, courage and tenacity, was unable to return the masses to the church, how with the same ideas work. Im not advocating apathy in the face of decline, Stanosz said. Im merely recognizing that the decline began before me and will continue after me.
And all just to protect the good ole boys club . . .
the well being of the priest is solely Gods responsibility and one should not be striving for it. i as a priest must be sriving to my resposibility towards HIM.