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FORMATION TO PRIESTHOOD MUST BE WITHIN THE SIGNS OF TIME
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
JUNE 9, 2008
The Southern African Catholic Quarterly Trefoil Magazine (November 2008), in one of its article has raised a very important issue on some causes to the shortage of vocation to priesthood.
Discussion material placed by ‘Priests for Tomorrow’ working group in Johannesburg, a document issued by the Rosebank Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) argues that some of the causes include the traditional sources that supplied men for priesthood which are not able to supply the Church’s needs in the modern world, and calls for an open and honest discussion of alternative approaches.
The fact that our Church is the Church in the world; a world that has changed irrevocably in the last century, to be relevant therefore, the PPC argues that it must recognize and engage with the technological, economic, and social forces that shape the modern world that is committed to serve.
The Church in Kenya has also not been spared either. In November 29, 2004 The Standard reported that the Church in Kenya must change to survive the worst threat in its 106-year history. This entails radical transformation of structures and way of worship as well.
The recommendations follow a study that shows that Kenya’s younger generation-aged 24 and below-have become “godless generation”. The study, carried out by evangelical church groups also warns that more worshippers would stay away if changes were not made urgently.
The Church must also review its theology and doctrine whose failures to modern world approach is threatening. Changes are necessary because theologians have also been influenced by challenges of the society, churches, and academic institutions. Modernistic approach to “doing theology is therefore a must.
Even though Kant and Hegel in particular have had a great impression on modern theologians, instead the modern theology has failed to adopt relevant theologies that suit the environment, culture, tradition, customs and particular society and region.
For instance, when the First World War (1914-1918) brought about a major crisis in European society and culture and affected the theological train of thought of many of the theologians of the day, it was an attempt at rethinking the whole enterprise of modern theology and fitting it into the crisis of the age in which the society lived.
Modern theologians must attempt to create a God-centered account of reality, redefining theology in the context of the interrelationship between the church and the world.
Although Hans Kung, a Roman Catholic Theologian has been condemned by hierarchical tough organ body that controls the catholic Church in the world of being heretic, he is the most widely read of twentieth century because modern theologians because his theology is quite appealing to the signs of the time.
Huns Kung, a Catholic priest and professor of theology has long been accused of attacking Infallibility of the Church. According to infallibility of the Catholic Church when it defines matters of faith and morals, the exclusive authority of the Pope cannot make a mistake when it teaches ex cathedra.
His writings were primarily on the church, on the main articles of the Christian faith and method, inter-religious dialogue between various theologians, and the relation of religion in general to his current time (typically Christianity being meshed with culture). The doctrine has been under attack since its proclamation by Pius IX and the First Vatican Council in 1870.
Among the many mistakes made by the papacy are those listed by Hans Kung as follows: the excommunication of Photius, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantiople and of the Greek Church, which made formal the schism with the Eastern Church, a schism which is now almost a thousand years old; the prohibition of [charging] interest at the beginning of modern times;.the condemnation of Galileo and the measures adopted as a consequence of this action, which are essentially responsible for the estrangement between the Church and the natural sciences (not yet overcome today).
The condemnation of new forms of worship in the Rites controversy, which is one of the main reasons for the large-scale breakdown of the Catholic missions of modern times in India, China, and Japan; the maintenance up to the First Vatican Council of the medieval secular power of the Pope, with the aid of all secular and spiritual means of excommunication, which in large measure rendered the papacy incredible as a spiritual ministry.
Kung goes on to list other errors and concludes, “The errors of the ecclesiastical teaching office in every century have been numerous and indisputable.” Kung emphasizes the error of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical against birth control.
Still another ethical problem of the doctrine of infallibility is that it interferes with the church’s mission. The mission of the church on which faith depends is to proclaim the gospel afresh as situations change in a rapidly changing universe. When infallible teaching is proclaimed which prevents the church from dealing with new situations, the mission and faith of the church is damaged.
The original definition of infallibility which appears in Chapter 3 of the dogmatic Constitution, Pastor Aeternus, of July 18, 1870, declares excommunicate anyone who states that “the Roman Pontiff has the office only of inspection or of direction, but not full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal Church, not only in matters pertaining to faith and morals, but also in those pertaining to the discipline and government of the Church.
Chapter 4 of the Constitution limits infallibility to the pope’s speaking ex cathedra when “he defines with his supreme apostolic authority a doctrine concerning faith or morals.and therefore such definitions of the Roman pontiff are irreformable of themselves.”
The fact that the doctrine of infallibility has consequently become a totalitarian obedience to or thought control by the monarch, it is perceived that when the pope decides that a position he takes on morals, such as opposition to birth control or abortion, must not only be obeyed by the Catholic faithful, but legislated by the state, as it has done in the Untied States.
Another reason given by PPC as the cause for vocation shortage is celibacy. While talking of optional celibacy, the PPC argue that since for the first thousand years, married priests were accommodated in the Latin rite, it was time for the Catholic Church to review its stand on celibacy.
There are also many married priests in the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church and of course, in the Orthodox churches who are married and continue to live out their marriages.
It explains why in recent years, the church has accepted as priests about a dozen married former Episcopal priests and Lutheran ministers who converted to Catholicism. Some priests have seen this as a breakthrough that could someday permit marriage for priests.
Most of these were previously ordained as ministers in other Christian traditions and made decisions to become Catholics. It is therefore undeniable that many who enter the celibate priesthood either do not have an enduring gift of celibacy or also their determination to be celibate.
It is against this background that many individuals wish to serve as priests but know that they do not possess the gift of celibacy. “Priesthood is a gift, celibacy is a gift: they are not the same gift” (National Council of Priests, Australia, 2004).
The PPC therefore suggest that as have many other Catholic across the world-which the Church needs to examine honestly the appropriateness of insisting upon a priesthood that is, with very few exceptions, obliged to be celibate.
In Ireland the issue is not only short of vocation, but also a major shortage of priests with the number of vocations taking a dramatic plunge. The Catholic Courier reports new figures on vocations published in the 2008 Irish Catholic Directory show the country lost 160 priests last year – mostly because of death in old age – and had only nine new ordinations.
Currently there are about 4,750 priests in Ireland, however if trends continue, by 2028 Ireland will have fewer than 1,500 priests according to Dublin diocesan vocations director Fr Eamonn Bourke.
With a major step taken by American cardinals in 2002 towards approving a policy of sacking Roman Catholic priests who have abused children, Like Ireland and other European countries, shortage of priests is indeed a major problem. The cardinals’ announcement follows the Pope’s comments that there is no place in the Roman Catholic Church for priests who sexually abuse children.
Over 2,000 priests are now being investigated in a crisis which threatens to bankrupt the Catholic Church in the US. Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned under pressure, has acknowledged that the scandal is undermining the Church and that more must be done to overcome the crisis.
People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
E-Mail ppa@africaonline.co.ke
Tel 254-20-4441372
Website : www.peopleforpeaceinafrica.org
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Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:04:13 +0300
From: PEOPLE FOR PEACE IN AFRICA
Subject: Regional News
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Colleagues Home & Abroad
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Pax Christi International
Statement to G8 Ministers Meeting in Hokkaido, Japan
Take Strong Leadership toward Achieving the Complete and Irreversible Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement, with over 100 member organizations active worldwide, writes in anticipation of the G8 Summit to take place 7 – 9 July 2008 in Hokkaido, Japan.
The significance of the location in Japan of this year’s G8 summit makes highly appropriate the inclusion of nuclear non-proliferation issues on the G8 Summit Agenda.
Japan, with its unique and painful experience of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has prohibited the possession, production and introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, giving hope to all who are working to rid the world of the scourge of nuclear weapons. The fact that the Japanese Constitution (Article 9) “renounced war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat to use force as a means of settling international disputes” also has given hope to people around the world who work for the non-violent resolution of conflicts. Few more powerful examples exist of a national commitment for peace. The G9 nations and the world should celebrate and give strong support to its retention.
Pax Christi has repeatedly called for the global abolition of nuclear weapons. It is immoral for states and non-state actors alike to use, threaten with or possess nuclear weapons. We urge the G8 leaders to take strong leadership toward achieving the complete and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons and to strengthen the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and regime.
Pax Christi is deeply concerned about ominous signs that a renewed arms race is on the horizon. Neither an increasingly hungry human community nor a threatened earth could sustain such a step backward. Current efforts to revoke Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution; the multi-billion dollar U.S. Complex Transformation proposal to rebuild that country’s nuclear weapons production capabilities; the Missile Defense System now being designed for deployment, including in Eastern Europe, and the U.S. nuclear deal with India all point to a world where the possibility of disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament, is increasingly remote.
The international community has worked for decades to build a nuclear non-proliferation regime which has helped prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. In signing the NPT, states possessing nuclear weapons committed to working toward the goal of nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the treaty and non-nuclear states agreed not to acquire them. G8 nations cannot press Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear programs while more powerful countries, including some as-yet undeclared nuclear states, pursue, maintain or enhance their nuclear capabilities.
We urge the G8 leaders to actively revitalize multilateral cooperation in the area of nuclear disarmament and to recognize their particular responsibility to place non-proliferation and disarmament high on the political agenda. The creation of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East is particularly urgent.
At stake is the survival of humanity and most likely of the earth. Peace, sustainable human development and the integrity of creation must be given priority over an arms industry that monopolizes capital and perpetuates profound insecurity. The sacredness of human life and the rest of creation make the development, maintenance, threats to use and use of nuclear weapons a deep affront to morality. The human community is obliged to redirect our pursuit of security. No one will be secure until we all are secure.
Executive Committee
Belgium, 8 June 2008
2008-0521-en-gl-SD
People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
E-Mail ppa@africaonline.co.ke
Tel 254-20-4441372
Website : www.peopleforpeaceinafrica.org
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Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:39:34 +0300
From: PEOPLE FOR PEACE IN AFRICA
Subject: Regional News