Corpus-NCR has been involved in many activities in the past few months. There have been four gatherings at members’ homes. In February members enjoyed the gracious hospitality of Maureen and Joe McIntyre; in March they participated in an Annunciation liturgy at the home of Virginia and Raymond Lafond; and in April they shared the Eucharist in an Easter-Spring celebration at Sharon Gravelle’s and Bob Part’s. 

In May members visited Susan and John Hoysted in Smiths Falls, where the shared homily was on angels. Views on angels ranged from avid devotion to polite skepticism. As a memento of their visit they all were given a small replica of an angel. The lively discussion urges me to suggest that angels might be the focus theme for a future issue of The Journal.

Another joyous celebration in May for the women of Corpus-NCR was a shower for one of its members, Helen Zettel, who is expecting her first child in July. Please remember Helen, her husband Bob, and their new life in your prayers.

On April 4 at St. Paul University in Ottawa several Corpus members attended a talk entitled "The Next Pope" by John Wilkins, editor of the British journal The Tablet. To an audience of about 100 people, Wilkins gave some of his own reflections on where the next pope might come from, and what would be some of his challenges. He said the next pope would certainly be a compromise candidate, and might well be a Latin American. He emphasized that there will be a moral obligation on him to act more collegially than his predecessor, that he must govern in close conjunction with the Bishops’ Synod, and that theologians must be seen as part of the magisterium of the church.

In an interview in Ottawa that day with The Citizen, Wilkins said, "We have a reformed church and an unreformed papacy. I’m an admirer of the [pope], but I don’t think Vatican II intended us to have a monarchy. His successor has got to bring the bishops back into the middle of the church."

Wilkins’ talk was followed by a reception sponsored by the publishing house Novalis. At this lively gathering Corpus members met several friends in the Catholic community, including Paul Harris, director of the meditation movement begun by John Main, and Romeo Maione, former head of the Young Christian Workers in Canada.

Finally, Corpus-NCR was well represented at a weekend gathering conducted by theologian Diarmuid O’Murchu in Kingston on April 28-30. For further details on this event, see the article by Corpus members Claudia and Maurice Sullivan in this issue of The Journal.

Jim Noonan, Corpus-NCR

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It is interesting to look at the latest numbers of "non-laicised" priests for Canada: 
Diocesan Priests - 5999; Religious Priests- 3631 = Total 9630. 
Breakdown:
-Maritimes: Diocesan - 616; Religious - 117; Total 733 = 7.6% of total. 
-Quebec: Diocesan - 3010; Religious - 1952; Total 4962; = 51.5% of total. 
-Ontario: Diocesan - 1584; Religious - 988; Total 2572; = 26.7% of total. 
-West & North:Diocesan-789; Religious-574; Total 1363; = 14.2% of total. 
-There are also about 30 who serve in the military, not counted in the above.

Numbers of "laicised" priests in Canada: It is very difficult to get accurate infor-mation from Chancery Offices. One possible way of getting an estimate is to compare Canada with therest of the world in percentage of priests who resigned or married. But that’s not so easy either. About ten years ago, it was estimated that there were about 125,000 married/resigned priests worldwide, or about 25% of all priests. In 1999, The International Federation of Married Catholic Priests in its Newsletter, "Ministerium Novum" (Vol 14, No 25) did an update using the Vatican Statistical Yearbook. Experience shows that about 30% leaving the ministry do not apply for dispensation. Adjusting for that, the estimate now stands at 85,000 resignations. With further adjustment for deaths, the Federation estimates that there are about 50,000 married/resigned priests in the world presently. This comes to 12.37%. On this basis our best guess is that there are about 613 resigned priests in Quebec and 577 resigned priests in the rest of Canada for a total of 1190. 

SOME USA NUMBERS

I received a letter from FUTURECHURCH (www.futurechurch.org) with information about "A Call for National Dialogue on the Future of Priestly Ministry." The letter says that there has been a 12% decline in the number of parish priests in the last five years within the USA. At the same time the size of parishes has increased by 6%. There are 3,300 parishes in the US without a priest today. Nationwide there are more priests over age 90 than under age 30. 

Sr. Katharina Schuth’s recent study of seminaries shows that the number of seminarians has declined by 21% over the past ten years.

FUTURECHURCH is promoting another National Dialogue this year. Previous dialogues have been very successful. Over 3,300 parish grassroots participants are using their resources. It might be something for us in Corpus Canada to look into wherever possible in our local groups.

TWO INTERESTING QUOTES

-88% of young men gave celibacy as the reason for not entering the priesthood (survey of the US National Catholic Bishops).

- "The celibacy requirement is the single most important deterrent to new vocations." Michael H. Crosby, "Celibacy," page 60.

Emil Kutarna, Regina, SK