A continuing problem in Germany is the shortage of priests; turnover has been stabilized at a very low level. In 2002, 131 priests were ordained, a number wholly insufficient to cope with the problem of the ageing of the clergy. According to Rainer Birkenmaier, director of the Centre for vocations of the German Bishops’ Conference, “there aren’t enough vocations. Last year there were 200 candidates to the priesthood, against 203 in the previous year. After fifteen years of progressive decline in 1989 there were 297 ordinations the situations seems now to have been stabilized, but still the number of ordinations is too low to meet the needs of the parishes”. “The pastoral planning of the dioceses is experiencing serious difficulties due to the lack of priests, but explains Birkenmaier that must not lead to solutions that, in promoting the replacement of priests, could obscure the essence of the Church and the ministry of the priesthood”.
