I don’t want to stir up too much of a fight here, so if everyone can remain civil when discussing what may be a slightly heated (but very important) topic, that would be good.

I sat in Mass yesterday and listened to the letter from the Bishop imploring the people of his diocese to actively pray for vocations and to raise the topic with their sons and grandsons. The letter was written in a very pleading tone that set out the dire nature of our current vocation situation – in Auckland and in the country as a whole.

In the car on the way home, my wife and I were discussing this and throwing around ideas on how to get vocations up. I stated, as I have many times before, that I am convinced that God has not stopped calling men to the priesthood – it’s just that men can’t hear him as well as they used to be able to…or that they’re not listening at all.

By the looks of things, my thoughts on this matter are shared by Ben Gorman, the head of religious education at Sancta Maria College here in Auckland. He has written a fantastic piece in the latest NZ Catholic on ways for schools to promote vocations. Without transcribing the whole article here (go read page 16 of the April 22 issue of the paper ), he had some fantastic ideas. I especially like getting priests and religious to visit classes and talk with students about their lives and answer any questions. I’d add to that by providing more exposure to our seminarians and the seminary in general, as I think it would be good to show that those studying for the priesthood are actually normal guys who are simply (ha!) answering The Call.

Anyway, back in the car, my lovely wife and I were continuing our discussion. She pointed out that she thinks the “secret” is to keep kids in church, because if they drop out in their teens (as many do) then they’ll usually return as fathers to have their kids baptised…if at all. She also remarked that myself and many of my friends are testaments to the first part of this – we’ve all considered, to greater and lesser degrees, the vocation to the priesthood, but most of us discerned that it wasn’t our calling. “And”, she commented, “that’s a gain for the wives, but a loss for the Church because you’d make a good priest.”

I didn’t ponder on what qualities of mine she thought qualified that statement, but it did get me wondering on the whole topic of…you can see it already can’t you?…married priests. To say the Church doesn’t allow them is false, because we do have priests who are married right now. Granted, they were ordained ministers in the Anglican or Eastern Orthodox church, and are only allowed in with an exception to the vow of celibacy (unless they become widowers – then they can’t marry again) by special favour of the Pope in the aim of ecumenism, but they’re there nonetheless. I’m not saying this exception proves the rule, but I’m interested in the debate.

I understand why women can’t be priests – it may not be a popular ruling, but I understand the logic behind it. But can someone come in on the married priests thing for me? Why is that not allowed? And wasn’t it allowed in the early Church and only forbidden later on? I admit to knowing little about the whole situation, but I remember discussing this with another friend of mine years ago who remarked that the main reason he could see was from a logistical perspective – i.e. how does the Church support a large Catholic family where the father is a Fr.? I doubt that’s the reason, as I doubt the inability to separate Church “work” from homelife is the reason.

So, I’m (quite tentatively) throwing this out to the community to get your thoughts. Please, please remember charity in all things!