(ZENIT News / Bonn, 05.21.2024).- A recent survey unveils the lukewarm support among young priests in Germany for issues central to the Synodal Path. According to a study presented on Friday, May 17, in Bonn by the Bochum-based Center for Applied Pastoral Research (Zap), matters such as the ordination of women or increased lay involvement in ecclesiastical decisions garner only between 25 to 36 percent support among young clergy.
In stark contrast, over 80 percent of respondents believe that deeper spiritual initiatives are essential for church reform, with approximately 76 percent viewing a stronger focus on faith transmission as crucial.
Titled «Who Will Be a Priest?», the study delves into the origins and motivations of current priests. Commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) Commission for Priestly Vocations and Ecclesial Services, the research engaged 847 men ordained between 2010 and 2021, as well as 1,668 men who left seminary during their training. From this pool, the authors received responses from 153 priests and 18 former seminarians. The research period spanned from October 2021 to February 2022. The average age of respondents was 37, with over 97 percent growing up in Germany. Seven percent had migratory backgrounds. The majority hailed from larger families and were traditionally socialized in ecclesiastical environments. Among young priests, there’s a noticeable inclination towards conventional or conservative social settings.
Individual Spiritual Factors
The study underscores the pivotal role of individual spiritual factors in the vocational paths of prospective priests. It also notes that liturgical celebrations offer significant motivational potential, while organizational or managerial issues hold lesser importance.
Celibacy and Singleness
Simultaneously, the study reveals that singleness and celibacy are key reasons why young individuals in Germany opt out of the priesthood. About 73 percent of respondents consider singleness a significant or very significant obstacle for those contemplating seminary. Nearly the same percentage (72.4 percent) cites societal non-acceptance of celibacy as a relevant factor. However, this doesn’t imply that young priests reject celibacy or call for its abolition.
Need for Changes in Vocational Pastoral Care
Matthias Sellmann, the study’s director and president of Zap, emphasizes the pressing need to realign vocational pastoral care and priestly formation. He highlights that vocations are more likely to emerge in declining demographic, social, and ecclesiastical contexts, a pattern that will become less accessible due to the fading traditional ecclesiastical cultural milieu. Most priests don’t see themselves as innovative leaders and tend to disagree with modern societal values and configurations, including ecclesiastical reform issues. This suggests they «would contribute little to the creative connection between the Church and contemporary society.» Sellmann adds that this lack of initiative for change and innovation poses another problem. Priests seek a competency profile centered on personal relationships and spirituality, sidelining many aspects related to organization and the priest’s role. «Many want to be pastors, but not leaders or managers. However, in the long run, they will be employed as leaders of increasingly large and resource-rich complexes,» leading to a foreseeable overload. Interestingly, there’s no mention that laypeople should handle management tasks, freeing priests to fulfill their true vocation of soul care.
Reactions from the German Bishops’ Conference
Bishop Michael Gerber of Fulda, DBK vice-president and president of the Commission for Priestly Vocations and Ecclesial Services, stated that the study provides crucial insights for vocational pastoral care and seminary education. He stressed that amid cases of sexual violence and spiritual abuse in the Church, nurturing personal development and fostering personal spirituality among priestly candidates are paramount: «The importance of human maturity is central to priestly vocation, as the priest plays a role in an institution and acts as a pastor in often complex social environments, where he frequently operates as a leader or moderator.» Gerber also announced that the drafting of new framework regulations for priestly formation in Germany is in its final stages. There’s concern that seminaries might filter out candidates with more conservative doctrinal and spiritual profiles. They prefer a Church without priests over a Church with priests like those of the past.
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