Most of the current growth in the Mormon Church is in those areas, too. They've nearly written off Europe, but that's still considered a plum mission assignment. Few people pointing guns at you, like in the American South, few chances of simply disappearing off the face of the earth. Plus cool sightseeing.
There was an article in the NY Times last week or so, where they interviewed some Mormon missionaries in Uganda, and one of them said something like, "My friend is in Ukraine, and has talked to maybe two people all year. I'm talking to people every day!"
Hee, we are, like tag co-ordinated. Yours is an excellent line that I expect to quote often, Lee.
I'll just put in a "Go Jesuits!" plug while we're talking orders...
Interestingly, my parish priest growing up had been a monk (if not cloistered, definitely not very out among the people type), and then later decided to become a priest. Father Clement (more commonly known as "Fr Clem!").
I note that the report on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious comes from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, once known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition. That would be the Inquisition for short. The Catholic hierarchy: enforcing doctrine rather than following Jesus for 500 years.
No, Jesuits are a priesthood.
I'll just put in a "Go Jesuits!" plug while we're talking orders...
My brother was educated by Jesuits, and he tells us that the priests who ran his high school live rather luxuriously; his comment is, "I've SEEN their idea of poverty; I can only imagine their idea of celibacy!"
(Of course, that was a comment made back in the early 90s, before the sex abuse scandal really got into full swing. Now his comment isn't as funny.)
Also worth noting that the Jesuits also aren't real big on the vow of obedience, either.
All I know about Jesuits is that the priest in
The Exorcist
was one.
Hah--there was a long running joke at Georgetown that one spring break someone checked all the recycling to see how much booze the different dorms were drinking...and the Jesuit Residence won!
