PHILADELPHIA (PA)
National Catholic Reporter
Patricia Lefevere | Jul. 22, 2013
PHILADELPHIA
At best, the Catholic church has five to six years before the shortage of clergy members plays itself out in unknown ways in Europe and North America. This is the so-called “Catholic Tipping Point” foreseen by Austrian Fr. Helmut Schüller, one of the most vocal advocates for new models of leadership in the church. The remarks came in an extended interview with NCR before his Friday evening address at Chestnut Hill College here.
Schüller and approximately 400 Austrian priests — about 10 percent of the nation’s total Catholic clergy — launched the Austrian Priests’ Initiative in 2006 following worry and discussions about who would care for their parishes when there were not enough priests to take over after they retire. In 2011, they issued an “Appeal to Disobedience” in which they pledged, among other things, not to celebrate multiple Sunday Masses. The movement seeks to open the priesthood to each person suited for the office, including women and married men.
Schüller, 60, said the word “disobedience” upsets many people, but he showed no sign of finding a less troublesome word. “Where has obedience got us?” he asked, reviewing his own priesthood of 36 years. “I feel the church often misuses obedience to keep people down.”
In an afternoon meeting with 20 priests of the Philadelphia archdiocese at Chestnut Hill College, the Austrian cleric said he found “a lot of sympathy” and “very supportive” comments from local priests. Some, he said, shared experiences similar to his in Vienna and told Schüller how their work had, at times, brought them into conflict with church authorities.
He pointed to growing frustrations among priests who are asked to pastor three or four cluster parishes. “There is the tension of having to do the same thing continually and not having sufficient time to get to know parishioners,” he said, adding that he thought the idea of such a ministry impeded men from joining the priesthood. “My hope is that these potential candidates will not leave the church but will become engaged lay leaders.”
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