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Document Details :

Title: Prêtres catholiques en Europe occidentale au XXIe siècle
Subtitle: Aperçu des publications actuelles
Author(s): JOIN-LAMBERT, Arnaud
Journal: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses
Volume: 88    Issue: 1   Date: 2012   
Pages: 145-165
DOI: 10.2143/ETL.88.1.2164173

Abstract :
The Diocesan priest was a major figure of Western society from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Contemporary religious transformations affect him directly, upsetting his living and working conditions, and even his identity. Throughout Europe, managing these transformations and the decline of personal resources (whether or not one is ordained) has led to publications on the subject by both sociologists and theologians. Many texts treat the priest himself without first situating him within a more general ecclesiological context, including a theology of the people of God. There have been three major responses to the crisis: a laborious update, according to Vatican II, an explicit or subtle avoidance, and an identity withdrawal. In the above, I present 22 contributions on the topic, published between 2007 and 2011. A brief summary allows for different perspectives to be presented.

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