not sure about the situation in other areas of our little earth, but the situation in new zealand is that we are running very low on priests.

the few that we have in our area are very very stretched and spend their time at several different communities. because of this, i'm guessing that priesthoods are at an all time low - no longer are kids craving to dedicate themselves completely for god. does this mean that those that do go through go through faster, and that their standards have gone down? if there were any standards?

if someone really wants to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of god's service would the church deny it? even if they were a convicted sinner, god forgives so who are they to decide against god's word?

I kinda wanna be a priest.

i admire that you have found something that you can consider to focus your life upon. i think the thing about the priesthood though, is it doesn't suit the lifestyle of today's society.

what is the reason/s that you aren't a priest [unless you're quite young] because that's probably going to be same for others that have considered it.

I'm likely to be one fo those Martin-Luther-to-a-lesser-degree kind of priests and start my own version of the eucharist. My dad started his own version of the eucharist and he never completed seminary.. he did go to it, though.

I assume you're talking Catholic priests....

It's the same story here as well.

yep catholics

i suppose then in the next 50 or so years, they'll have to do a major reviewing of the catholic church and the role of the priest. that or the religion could die off. how can you have catholicism if there are no priests?

perhaps they'll become a rare entity

"i met this priest once, he wore a vestment and neat shoes and everything"

That's a possibility I never really thought of. If it is so, I definitely want to be a priest, if for nothing else, simply to be a novelty. Though I'm sure that if that does happen, that laypeople will simply find religion handed to them, which may not be a bad thing, at all.

All the large seminarys here are closing.