In
Goodbye! Good Men, author Michael Rose interviewed over 125 seminarians to examine the reasons why the Catholic Church now faces an alarming shortage of priests. (From 1966 to 1999 the number of seminarians dropped from 39,638 to 4,826.) For years this dramatic decline has been blamed on materialism, growing skepticism, and the perceived "unrealistic expectation" of celibacy. Yet Rose believes that the main reason for the priest shortage is the ambivalence and dissent within the Catholic Church itself. "Dissent kills vocations," he writes. "It's merely common sense that says people generally do not want to give themselves to an organization whose leaders constantly bemoan its basic structure." Of course he also points to the "appalling" sexual abuses within the church as a strong deterrent. Interestingly, though, Rose (
Ugly as Sin) believes that the solution is not to reconsider the demands of celibacy or refashion doctrine to make it more palatable to modern people. Rather, he points out that the more successful seminaries (the ones that attract and keep candidates) are not the politically correct reformist, but the more orthodox. According to Rose, "It boils down to a generation gap of sorts, one that pits the aging radical reformer against the young, pious conservative." Regardless of where you fall on this continuum, Rose's assessment adds a provocative voice to a crucial discussion.
--Gail Hudson
. . . evidence that the destruction of Catholicism in America has primarily been an inside job . . . and he names names. -- Rod Dreher, "National Review"
. . . shows how a [priest] shortage has been artificially created by keeping good candidates out and admitting effete and unorthodox ones . . . -- Ralph McInerny, University of Notre Dame , author of "What Went Wrong with Vatican II?"
American Catholics everywhere are reeling. . . . This book is not to be missed by anyone who cares about the Catholic faith. -- Donna Steichen, author of "Ungodly Rage" and "Prodigal Daughters"
About the Author
MICHAEL S. ROSE is author of two previous books: Ugly As Sin (Sophia Institute Press, 2001) and The Renovation Manipulation (Hope of St. Monica, 2000). During the past seven years, while editor of St. Catherine Review, he has emerged as one of the freshest new voices in the Catholic world. As an investigative reporter and editorialist he has illuminated a number of highly controversial issues in contemporary Catholicism, most notably the scandal surrounding unpopular remodeling of older Catholic churches and cathedrals across the U.S. His articles, editorials, and essays have appeared in venues such as Catholic World Report, New Oxford Review, Culture Wars, Homiletic & Pastoral Review, Envoy, Adoremus Bulletin, National Catholic Register, The Wanderer, Lay Witness, This Rock, and Catholic Dossier. Presently, he is Executive Editor of an Internet news magazine and wire service that will debut in late Summer, 2002. He is married with four children and lives between Cincinnati, Ohio; Butte, Montana; and Petoskey, Michigan.
