Bishop foresees no women, married priests in near future
Bishop Anthony G. Bosco said he doesn’t foresee women priests or married priests anytime soon in the Roman Catholic Church. Noting that women are serving in positions such as lectors, altar servers and Eucharistic ministers, he said a number of women also are serving in administration posts for the Greensburg Diocese as well as in its parishes.
“Women are playing a very significant role,’ he said.
But he doesn’t believe that women will soon be ordained to the priesthood.
“I would doubt it. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible but it’s been 2,000 years,’ the bishop commented.
Likewise, Bishop Bosco dismisses married priests or importing priests as ways to solve the priest shortage.
He said the problem is “the clergy is not seen as a desirable profession. Parents don’t encourage their kids.’
However, he is impressed with the youths he sees today who are involved with their churches. He invites youth leaders to his house once a year for pizza and ice cream. He distributes youth awards at a special annual ceremony. And even years later, he said, many youths continue to e-mail and write letters to the bishop.
“They’re normal kids – not weirdoes. They have a good solid faith. It’s appropriate for their age, and they’re not ashamed of it,’ he said.
And their parents?
“In most instances, when you’re giving out awards, the chapel is usually filled with parents and grandparents, and little brothers and sisters,’ the bishop said.
A significant change in the Diocese of Greensburg under Bishop Bosco concerns children, who now receive the sacrament of confirmation at the same time as Holy Communion. Children receive these sacraments in a special Mass when they are in second grade. Formerly, youths received the sacrament of confirmation at an older age.
“More and more dioceses are doing this. It’s growing,’ said the bishop, who noted that Eastern Rite Catholics confirm at baptism because baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist are sacraments of initiation.
He noted that people who complain that youths are too young to be confirmed at this age do not complain about their receiving Communion.
The bishop said waiting until a youth is older to receive these sacraments “goes against our idea of what the sacraments are. …They help us grow in holiness. We don’t want to delay them.’
Instead, the bishop believes that Catholics should continue to learn about their faith their entire lives. In fact, he said, “One of the most difficult challenges to the church is adults continuing education in the faith.’
Modern lifestyles make it difficult to offer adult education, and people are removed from the time when the church was the social center of a town.
But Bishop Bosco is using modern technology to reach people by becoming the first bishop at the University of Dayton to teach an online course. He’s done it for two semesters and will continue to do more.
The Internet course allows people to work the course into their own schedules.
“When we say education and formation, we’re not just talking about teaching so you can pass a test. Our knowledge is to make us grow in holiness,” he said.