Priestless Rites

The nation's 302 Roman Catholic bishops were in a celebratory mood last week as they met in Baltimore to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first American diocese. But their deliberations quickly turned sober as they confronted thorny problems that dominated the agenda. Among their actions: a response to AIDS that urges compassion for those with HIV infection -- and strict chastity as the only sure way to avoid the disease -- but sidesteps the bishops' earlier qualified toleration of condom education; a reiterated call for a Palestinian homeland and security for Israel; and a stepped-up antiabortion campaign.

Some of the most passionate talk, however, centered on what many bishops consider an equally critical problem: the growing shortage of priests. By the latest count, at least 1,000 of the 22,733 U.S. parishes have no resident clergy. The future looks even bleaker. The number of priests (now 53,522) is certain to decline as the population of Catholics (54 million) increases. By the year 2000, experts estimate, there will be only half as many active priests as there were in 1965, when there were only 46 million parishioners.

Prompted by those alarming demographic trends, the bishops endorsed a new rite that, if approved by the Vatican, can be used in place of Sunday Mass in parishes where no priest is available. The "Order for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest" allows a bishop to designate a deacon or a nonordained sister, brother or lay member to lead a prayer service based on the Scriptures. The bishops took care to see that such services will not mimic the Mass. The rules do provide, however, for the addition of an optional Communion service using sacramental bread previously consecrated during a Mass.

Some bishops were troubled by the prospect of substitute services. William McManus, a retired Indiana bishop, warned that the strong tradition of Sunday Mass could be undermined "if we bless this monster." Bishop Raymond Lucker of New Ulm, Minn., urged a study of the priest shortage that would face such issues as "Why can't we ordain people other than celibate males?" For the Vatican, however, that is a question not open to discussion.