Question for my Catholic brothers and sisters

Always in His Presence said:

You betcha it is ok to ask - feel free to ask me anything anytime.

Pentecostalism did not descend from Methodist The Assemblies of God traces our roots back to Azuza Street revival and before that. From a doctrinal position it started on the Day of Pentecost (hence Pentecostal). There is a commonality with John Wesley and his early works, but that is for another thread.

Not a clue - But Holiness is part and parcel of our Sacerdotal office and pledge

My oath is no drugs, no tobacco, no alcohol period. For Holy Communion we use the fruit of the grape (juice)

I am not required to pray everyday, but I cannot picture a day without praying. I typically pray about four to six times a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. My typical day starts at 5:30am and ends when I am finished - mot times between 7pm and 9pm. My off day is Thursday, though most times that changes with need. I spend time in sermon preparation for Sunday's and Wednesdays, I study for my international work, visit the sick, do hospital visitations and oversee the projects of the church. When I get a free moment I work on my third book. (already published two).

We are not liturgical

IMHO - so does being married - the difference it that I do it most time with my wife. We pray, minister to others 24/7 as needed. Just last week my wife drove to another town and prayed with a woman who needed comfort. Those are people I cannot meet privately with, but she can. My wife heads our woman' ministry and worship ministry.

She is my help meet - she is an extension of my flesh and my ministry. Like in the Garden - God said plainly, it is not good for man to be alone - them formed Eve from his flesh - after that, Adam's ministry (service to God) started.

Thank you

Perhaps if it did - the church wouldn't be in such a great need? Possible?

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Always in His Presence said:

What are the factors causing the shortage?

A cursory search on Grok showed the top three to be:

The shortage of men entering the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church, often referred to as a vocations crisis or priest shortage, has been attributed to a variety of interconnected factors based on analyses from Church sources, sociological studies, media reports, and public discussions. These factors span theological, cultural, social, and structural issues. Below is a comprehensive list of the primary contributors, drawn from diverse perspectives including Catholic publications, secular media, academic insights, and recent online discourse. I've grouped them thematically for clarity, with supporting evidence from sources.

1. Celibacy Requirement​

• The mandatory celibacy rule for Latin Rite priests is frequently cited as a major deterrent, as it prevents marriage and family life, which many men desire in modern society. This has historically reduced the pool of heterosexual candidates, with some arguing it attracts individuals seeking to suppress personal impulses rather than those fully committed to the vocation.
• Relatedly, the Church's prohibition on gay marriage combined with celibacy has been noted to draw disproportionate numbers of gay men to the priesthood in the past, though scandals have reduced this trend.

2. Clergy Abuse Scandals and Loss of Prestige​

• High-profile sex abuse scandals have eroded trust in the institution, damaged the priesthood's social capital, and created a negative perception that deters potential candidates. This includes fears of reputational risk and association with corruption.
• The scandals have also led to fewer same-sex attracted men entering seminaries, as exposure of abuse has heightened scrutiny.

3. Secularization and Cultural Shifts​

• Broader societal changes, including emphasis on science over faith, evolving views on sexuality, materialism, and modern distractions (e.g., pursuit of pleasure, money, or self-focused lifestyles), make religious vocations less appealing. Declining Mass attendance and family faith practice further reduce the pool of devout young men.
• Smaller family sizes mean fewer sons overall, and families are less likely to encourage priesthood as a path.
• Dissent on Church teachings (e.g., on birth control, homosexuality, women's roles) alienates potential vocations and contributes to overall disaffiliation.

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The Liturgist said:

Interestingly John Wesley, who was not only an Anglican priest but was ordained a bishop by the visiting Greek Orthodox hierarch Erasmus of Arcadia in 1763, intended for Methodists to continue to use the Book of Common Prayer (which was his favorite liturgy), partake of the Eucharist at least once a week, and fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on those days also pray the Litany, ideally in church as a public service (the Litany being one of the three traditional parts of the Anglican Divine Office along with Morning Prayer and Evensong). Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is the norm in the Orthodox Church but the Wednesday fast had disappeared from the Western church except in some monasteries. Also his Sunday Service Book contained Morning Prayer and Evensong, indicating they should be used - which is interesting because the main Sunday service was supposed to be Holy Communion.

Thus, John Wesley was a bishop in apostolic succession, who believed in episcopal polity, the perpetual virginity of the Theotokos and her status as Mother of God, and was probably connected via Erasmus of Arcadia to the Kollyvades Brothers, a Greek Orthodox group active in the 18th century who were along with Wesley the first to try to revive high frequency communion among the laity.

Only a few Methodist churches follow Wesley’s plan or an approximation of them, one being Epworth Chapel on the Green in Boise, Idaho.

I venerate St. John Wesley and have an icon of him with his brother St. Charles Wesley, as I regard his teachings on Entire Sanctification to be the clearest translation of the ancient Patristic doctrine of theosis into the English language.

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Always in His Presence said:

It is on a much higher scale than other denominations - should you ask why?

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The Liturgist said:

Interestingly despite Traditiones Custodes, the FSSP and ICKSP have no shortage of vocations (neither does the SSPX for that matter). I think a lot of men who would otherwise be comfortable with dedicating their life to Christ and taking a vow of celibacy are uncomfortable with the more liberal dioceses, and also with a lack of liturgical beauty, and the result is they’re joining the TLM part of the Catholic Church because they know that they’ll never be celebrating Sunday mass to an empty church (since those places where the TLM is still available are even more overcrowded now than they were before Traditiones Custodes) or being put in a compromising position regarding their commitment to traditional Roman Catholic moral values.

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The Liturgist said:

Amen. I think its why the Orthodox Church is now growing faster than even the Pentecostals; we have parishes seeing annual membership increases of 18%. We now have a clergy shortage due to all of the converts combined with the high birth rate among most Orthodox populations except for the Greeks (the birth rate among the Oriental Orthodox by the way is … beautiful).

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