Priest numbers falling

30th April 2010

The number of people choosing to enter the priesthood is failing.

According to a report by the Conference of the Polish Episcopate, 687 men enrolled at seminaries last year - seven less than in 2008.

But the bigger picture shows a more drastic drop, with the number of candidates falling by almost 30 percent in the past decade.

“The beginning of the 21st century – the last years of Pope John Paul II – was a sort of religious retreat and encouraged many young people to enter the seminary,” says national priest for vocations, Father Marek Dziewiecki.  ...