Catholics face a shortage of priests. But one Indonesian seminary is overwhelmed with applicants

Associated Press

MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — Arnoldus Yansen thought for certain he was going to become a Catholic priest, just like his older brother, cousin and uncle. Instead, Yansen took off his clerical robes for good and joined the hundreds of prospective priests who resign or fail to take up Catholic vocations every year in Indonesia. Fallout from the clergy sex abuse crisis and the pull of the fast-paced modern world is causing a shortage of priests globally. Still, Ritapiret Seminary is overwhelmed with applicants. Beyond the internal challenges, violent attacks are also a concern of the church in Indonesia, where Catholics are a religious minority in a mostly Muslim country.