The Priest Shortage Originated in the Mid-Sixteenth Century

The Priest Shortage Originated in the Mid-Sixteenth Century
According to Dr. Thomas O' Loughlin, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham, the priest shortage is even more acute than is typically reported because the Church tends to take an anemic view of what it means to be a Eucharistic people.

O' Loughlin contends that there has been a serious crisis of "under-ordination" since the mid-sixteenth century when as an effect of the Reformation debates the full-time, professionalized, seminary-educated cleric became the norm. Since that time, he asserts that the Church has never attempted to establish an optimal ratio for priests to people. He proposes a new vision of parish life with a ratio of 1 priest per 100 Catholics. 

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