German Priest on the Brink of Extinction. Record Low Number of Ordinations Across the Oder

Priests in Germany will soon be a rarity. In 1962, on the threshold of the Second Vatican Council, 557 priestly ordinations were conferred across the Oder. Last year – only 29. There are 27 dioceses in Germany. In many, not a single priest was ordained. In only one diocese, Trier, four new priests were ordained, and in four dioceses – three. The decline in the number of ordinations is alarming. 1962: 557 newly ordained priests. 2004 – only 122. …