Priest shortage in the Catholic Church

While the total number of priests worldwide has therefore remained relatively stable since 1970, the Catholic population has nearly doubled, growing from 653.6 million in 1970 to 1.229 billion in 2012.

[2] Research by Davidson found "a growing shortage of Catholic priests but an increasing supply—some analysts say an oversupply—of clergy in most Protestant denominations".

[8] Similarly, Richard Schoenherr found in 1993 that "the current clergy shortage is a distinct Catholic crisis".

More than three-quarters of them were studying for the diocesan priesthood, while 24 percent intend to be ordained for religious orders."

But Theological College's Phillip Brown said a rise in enrollment is only part of the story:"It's not just the numbers but the quality and spirit of the men who are coming," he told CNS.

"[12]In 2008 the enrollment of Saint John's Seminary in Boston rose to 87, double that of two years earlier.

[14] Der Spiegel has reported that Germany, which used to send missionary priests to other countries, now has a shortage of new clergy.

If we keep going the way we are, the future of the Irish priesthood is now unsustainable," noted Brendan Hoban, head of the Association of Catholic priests.

[16] In 2017 Fr Sean McDonagh wrote an article in the Tablet saying "Over 65 per cent of Irish priests are aged 55 or over.

[17] In Spain, Catholic Church sources confirmed that the country is experiencing a shortage of priests.

A study sponsored by the church showed that in 2007, at least 10,615 of the 23,286 parishes in Spain had no priest in permanent residence.

"[23] During his visit to Brazil, Pope Benedict XVI briefly noted in his remarks the shortage of priests in Latin America.

But now, for various reasons, as their preference is changing, it threatens to pose many crises for the community in the future," said Udumala Bala, the deputy secretary general of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI).

[31] At the same time, however, there has been a growth in the number of men and women entering other forms of ministry in the church, such as deacons and lay ecclesial ministers.

Canon law (CIC 517) does allow for a deacon or lay ecclesial minister to be appointed as de facto pastor of a parish, under the supervision of a priest moderator, in the absence of a qualified presbyter.

Hoge estimated that if celibacy were optional for diocesan priests, there would be four times the number of men entering the priesthood.

[34] The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate study in 2008 noted that half of the approximately 19,000 active diocesan priests in the U.S. expected to retire before 2019.

"If today the average number of children is 1.5", he reasoned, "the question of possible priests takes on a very different role from what it was in ages when families were considerably larger."

[37] Sandra Yocum, a professor specializing in faith and culture at the University of Dayton, notes that in the past the priesthood carried high prestige in Catholic culture: having a son become a priest was once seen as a pinnacle of success for working-class Catholic families.

But as socioeconomic opportunities and expectations have risen in western societies, a son joining the priesthood could be seen as diminishing the family's prosperity.