Parishes are a common practice in the Catholic Church. They are a division of a diocese which has its own church and members of the clergy. A parish priest is appointed and entrusted with the spiritual care of his parishioners. In 2008, 49,631 parishes in the world had no resident priest or pastor (CARA services. Frequently requested Church statistics). Parishes without a priest can cause great difficulties for people. The role of a priest within a parish is vital; a priest is someone who is there for the sick and the dying, a shoulder to cry in times of need and a priest allows parishioners access to each of the seven sacraments.
In recent times the total number of priests has decreased and the average age of serving priests has…show more content… This is another controversial topic within the Catholic Church, and another proposal which has been rejected by the Vatican (Cf the Life light Module) but is still causing much discussion. Women had an inferior role in Jewish society. However, if we look to the New Testament, Jesus emphasises the importance of women. All throughout the Gospel women have played important roles. Jesus performed miracles for the benefit of women; the woman with the haemorrhage (Luke 8:42); the crippled woman (Luke 13:10) etc. He refers to the great faith of women in the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8) and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1). It was also a woman who first saw the risen Jesus.
There are solid grounds for thinking that women should and will in future play a more significant role in the ministry of priesthood. Ministry is rooted in baptism and both males and females are baptised. Is it logical therefore to exclude women from the ministry of priesthood? If we see women as equal members of the People of God then there is no reason why women should be excluded.
During school years, children and young adults occasionally receive school visits from their local parish priest. However, priests should be visiting their local schools more often and promoting the idea to children of choosing the path of priesthood. Both children and young adults should be taught more about how they can devote their lives to God and the benefits of
