German lay leader: ordain married men, don’t wait for Rome
August 16, 2023
» Continue to this story on Kerk.net (Dutch)
CWN Editor's Note: An influential German Catholic lay leader has called for the ordination of married men, saying that the Church in Germany should not wait for permission from Rome.
“I wonder when bishops will finally have the courage to do this,” said Thomas Sternberg, the former chairman of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK). “We cannot keep waiting for Rome.”
Sternberg pointed to the steep decline in priestly ordinations in Germany—a drop of roughly 85% since 1990—and the severe shortage of priests that looms as a result.
The ZdK partnered with the German bishops’ conference to organize the Synodal Path.
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Posted by: IM4HIM -
Aug. 16, 2023 2:21 PM ET USA
If allowing married men to become priests was the answer, why aren't there more married permanent deacons in the Church? Many parishes don't have one and Protestant churches have a shortage of married ministers as well. No, we are reaping what we've haven't sown for vocations to the priesthood in Germany, the US and most countries around the world.
