Challenges Facing the Australian Catholic Church of the 21st Century
There are many challenges facing the Catholic Church in Australia during the 21st century. The decline in religious vocations, falling mass attendance, married clergy, female ordination and the role of the laity are all issues contributing to the challenges of the Australian Catholic Church.
Religious vocations are on a steep decline. As stated by the Pope, in regard to Australia, "mainstream Christianity is dying more quickly here than in any other country." The shortage will prove to be a big problem as Father Eric Hodgens predicts the Church will soon have less than one sixth of the priests needed to conduct Sunday Mass. Pope Benedict XVI believes many people feel self-sufficient and do not need Christ or Christianity. He also said that many people felt that Christianity was antiquated which makes it harder to inspire people to pursue religious vocations.
The decline in religious vocations is partly......
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Approximate Word Count: 619
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |