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Experts hope papal visit inspires more vocations (4/4ページ)
聖職者不足を訴えるセント・ヨゼフ神学校（ニューヨーク州ヨンカース）のルーク・スウィーニー学務主任。４月のローマ法王ベネディクト１６世訪米で聖職志望者が増えるのを期待している（ＵＳＡ ＴＯＤＡＹ）PRIEST-SHORTAGE -- The Rev. Luke Sweeney, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of New York, speaks about the shortage of priests in the New York Archdiocese during an interview at St. Joseph''s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., on Monday, March 3, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI will make his first visit to the United States in April and will make a stop at the seminary. (Gannett News Service, Mark Vergari/The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News)"I know a lot of young Hispanic guys who are very interested in the priesthood, but to tell you the truth, the big problem is celibacy," Reyes said. "That is the main reason they hold off."
This is where Pope Benedict comes in. He is visiting the U.S., in part, to inspire the faithful.
The Rev. Michael Morris, professor of church history at St. Joseph's, said that he was among many seminarians during the 1980s who became sure of their call after Pope John Paul II's visit in 1979.
"I discovered when I got to seminary, that I wasn't alone," he said. "Other guys felt the same way that I did. Hopefully, this will happen as a result of this papal visit. Hopefully we'll be filled again someday."
Sweeney has been preparing a major media campaign to promote the priesthood that will be rolled out after the papal visit. A series of Madison Avenue-quality posters and a new Web site - nypriest.com - trumpet the slogan "The World Needs Heroes."
One poster, showing three groups of smiling, confident priests from different generations, says: "The priesthood is tough and it's for real men."
(c) 2007, USA TODAY International. Distributed by Tribune Media Services International.
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