“How Bishops Discourage Vocations (and the Key to Attracting Them)”

From: Status Ecclesiae
Aug.-Sept. 2005
by John Mallon, Contributing Editor, Inside the Vatican

In the mid 1990s, I attended a clergy meeting in the diocese where I was employed as the newspaper editor. The meeting was to discuss ideas to increase vocations to the priesthood, because the diocese was facing a crisis. Predictably, the discussion was going nowhere until the retired archbishop raised his hand, stood up and said, “Why don’t we study those dioceses which are attracting vocations, like Lincoln, Nebraska, and Arlington, Virginia, and see what they are doing and what we can learn from that.” I smiled to myself, eager to see the response to his suggestion, because I knew that the reason those dioceses were attracting so many vocations would be utterly unacceptable to this group of priests. Predictably, the priests just looked at each other and said nothing. No one responded to the archbishop’s suggestion.

The answer was obvious. I may have even taken the retired archbishop aside and told him, but I suspect he already knew. The plain simple answer was that the bishops of those dioceses, Bishops Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln and the late John Keating of Arlington, were both explicitly, vocally and publicly committed to orthodoxy in Catholic teaching and practice. Meanwhile, the dominant priests of this diocese were known for being firmly committed to dissent. [emphasis added]

Many of us have opined from time to time that the only way that vocations are going to increase is to pray and to ensure that the fullness of the Faith is proclaimed and manifested, both by those in positions of ecclesiastical authority and by the faithful.

I've had this discussion with a deacon friend of mine who is associated with the Serra Club. Many times I have suggested that, in addition to the many programs of the Serra Club, it might consider promoting programs aimed at instilling orthodoxy as well as orthopraxis - not only at the parish level but also at the diocesan level.

Anecdotal 'evidence' appears to show that true vocations are born from those parishes in which the fullness of the faith is taught and where holiness is promoted and imparted to the young. Conversely, the vineyard is barren where heterdoxy and/or dissent is embraced.

At times, my conversations with my deacon friend seem to be beyond his grasp. When the majority of the young Catholic families are content with only one or two childen - presumably with the aid of artificial contraception, which is never condemned as intrinsically evil, there are fewer and fewer young men to hear the call of Christ. In addition, many grow up in an atmosphere which is, frankly, poisonous to the faith - for the tacit or, at times, even open denial that there exists gravely sinful matter is rarely if ever taught - except in cases of such things as environmentalism or distorted "social justice" issues.

Anyway, I digress...John Mallon has a great line further in his article:

....years later, perhaps it is beginning to dawn on some mid-level Church authorities that dissenters are not producing any progeny or followers — spiritual children. I call this ecclesiastical contraception. How can you inspire lifelong commitment and sacrifice in others to a Church you are constantly at war with?

Ecclesiastical Contraception - a perfect term for what has occurred in many parts of the country as well as in many parts of the world. Not only did many, many bishops and priests openly reject "Humanae Vitae" - their doing so resulted in a decades old famine which left many of the faithful spiritually sterile and physically non-procreative.

There is no secret to attracting vocations. There are plenty of them out there. A bishop who tolerates dissent and ignores abuses will not attract them. A bishop who boldly stands up for Christ and His Church, and Church teachings, despite all costs and opposition, will attract them.

It seems so simple, yet it is true. We have a profound obligation to help - and for many of us, that help comes in our offering of our prayers and sacrifices for our priests and bishops - so that they may be confirmed in their faith and their courage, that they may do what Christ expects of them - to pick up their crosses and follow Him.

This might be a good article to send to priests and bishops and to others involved in priestly vocations.