When Spain’s bishops’ conference revealed a recent 24 per cent rise in priestly ordinations, the unexpected news offered a reminder that the Church remains a social and cultural force to be reckoned with.
The data, outlined in a mid-March statement by the conference’s Commission for Seminaries and Universities, confirmed that 135 priests had been ordained last year, compared to 109 in 2017, with the highest figures recorded in the Madrid, Valencia and Toledo dioceses, followed by those of Seville, Alcala, Cartagena, Zaragoza and Córdoba. And while the total number entering seminaries had actually fallen, 20 per cent fewer ordinands had abandoned their courses than in the previous year.
