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Suffer The Little Children Part 3
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CRISIS
Decades of Decline
For decades now the Roman Catholic has been in crisis.
The reforms and changes of Vatican II in the mid-1960s sought to make the
Latin Church contemporary and more relevant to people in their own languages
and cultures. While essential doctrines did not change, many outward forms
and structures went through dramatic changes. In many orders the nuns got out of their habits and
began to identify with the people they were serving in contemporary dress.
More fundamental changes were also made in various orders. In spite of the
many changes, however, attracting people to religious orders and the Roman
Catholic priesthood has become increasingly difficult, especially in the
Western world.Since Vatican II priests, brothers and nuns have continued to
leave their vocations, and numbers entering the priesthood and religious
orders has continued to drastically decline.
The teachers at all Roman
Catholic schools at one time were Brothers, Nuns and some Catholic Lay
people. There are now many Catholic schools where the majority of staff are
non-Catholics. Orders are actively advertising to attract new members.
Convents, monasteries and seminaries are continuing to close. Ireland, once a major source
of missionaries and priests for numerous other countries, including
Australia, North and South America, recently closed its second last
remaining seminary for priests.
St Patrick’s College in Thurles, County Tipperary, commenced in 1837 but announced in August it will no longer provide training for priests. Since 1993 seven seminaries have been closed, and in the one remaining seminary to serve the whole country the number of seminarians studying for the priesthood has only a quarter of what used to be the standard number of students. Growing numbers of Roman Catholic parishes in Australia and elsewhere are without their own priest.
The crisis of the past has intensified with increasing revelations of sexual abuse and cover-up in the last few decades – and especially in the last few years.
Orphans Abused.
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Suffer The Little Children Part 3