c. 1997 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ Contrary to popular belief that the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on celibacy is a major obstacle to young people becoming priests and nuns, church officials say a new church-sponsored survey shows the requirement is not a drawback for those serious about vocations.

Rather, it may be a lack of encouragement by church personnel _ priests, nuns, bishops and other church workers _ that plays a larger factor in preventing interested youths from considering church careers.”Those relatively uninterested in vocations are the most likely to think that celibacy presents the biggest obstacle,”said the report by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), a church-related think-tank based at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.”However, those who have seriously considered a vocation are more likely to cite reasons (other than celibacy) such as fear of parental reaction, even if they say their parents encourage vocations, or of peer reactions”as obstacles, the report said.

Still, the numbers suggest that even among those who have seriously considered a religious vocation, the desire to have children is a significant obstacle.

According to the survey, 77 percent of those who say they have seriously thought about becoming a priest or nun said they hesitated because”I want to have children.”Among those who have not seriously considered the religious life, 87 percent said the desire for children was a cause of hesitation.

The survey was conducted for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Vocations as part of their national strategy to boost the sagging number of young men and women entering religious life.

The CARA survey is the first nationwide study on attitudes toward vocations by Catholic teens in two decades. It is based on a sample of 749 returned surveys and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 points.

According to the report, more than a quarter _ 27 percent _ of young people seriously considering a religious vocation say they might hesitate”because no one has ever asked them.””Priests, sisters, and brothers must profoundly accept a personal responsibility for vocational ministry,”the report added.

Bishop Paul S. Loverde of the diocese of Ogdensburg, N.Y., chairman of the bishops’ vocations committee, insisted the survey’s findings on celibacy”confirms a conviction that many have long held that if you present celibacy in a honest and challenging manner, it appeals to the idealism of young people.”This has been true for ages,”he said.”Celibacy is a sacrifice, but one that has profound meaning and has made a difference in people’s life.” Other major findings of the study included:

_ Participation in liturgical roles and devotional activities at a parish church are strong indicators of the likelihood of an interest in vocations.

_ Young people attracted to vocations find the sense of mission most appealing.

_ Young people think about church vocations in large numbers but when they talk about careers with their parents, they rarely discuss church vocations even if they are seriously considering one.

_ Attending Catholic schools has a singularly dramatic effect on the likelihood of youth to seriously consider a vocation.

According to the survey, 6 percent of the young people surveyed indicated they have already decided or are seriously considering a church career. That would mean, according to Loverde, 3,000 potential new priests and nuns each year.

MJP END ANDERSON