You report (The Tablet, 30 August) that falling numbers of vocations could see "ancient parishes wiped out" in Ireland, that a paltry 17 men will join Maynooth seminary this year, three less than the miserly 20 the previous year, and that the only action being considered by Church authorities is to appoint vocation directors "to encourage those considering the call of the Lord". We all know that this is the situation right across the rest of Europe and the States.
Church authorities have no right whatsoever to deny the laity access to the Eucharist and the sacraments, the liturgy and the Word of God. That is the effect of what they are doing and allowing. They are doing wrong, it is a flagrant wrong. If a business were run like they are running the Church, they'd have been sacked wholesale by now. There is not one single moral, biblical or theological reason for denying the priesthood to married men, married women and single women. In fact, as they know only too well, Galatians 3.28 explicitly repudiates that very idea. I am completely unable to get into the mindset of the Pope, the Cardinals, the Curia, the whole parade of bishops and archbishops across the world on this matter. And as for married men being priests, well, what is there to say? Paul was married, so was Peter the first Pope, so were the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brethren (1.Cor 9.5) and they all were accompanied on their missionary travels by their wives, most likely their children too, or some of them.
The Pope, the Curia, the bishops and archbishops of the Church have no right and no authority whatsoever to deny the priesthood to married men and women and single women. And denying the priesthood to women isn't just wrong and expressly contrary to Christian understanding, it is a flagrant insult to women and girls. Why should any young women today put up with a blatantly sexist discriminatory Church? If Church authorities genuinely and seriously want to preserve the Church and extend the Body of Christ which is the Church, they have to do the blindingly obvious. They have to stand up and be counted. Otherwise it won't just be "ancient parishes" in Ireland that will be wiped out, the very structures themselves will be wiped out all over the place, leaving not a wrack behind. That will be their disastrous legacy. Were they ordained for this? What world do they think they are living in?
Michael Knowles, Congleton, Cheshire
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