Pope John Paul on Friday called for a national day of prayer to boost priestly vocations in the United States, where sexual abuse scandals have hit already shrinking numbers of priesthood volunteers.
"No one can deny that the decline in priestly vocations represents a stark challenge for the Church in the United States, and one that cannot be ignored or put off," the pope said in a speech to American bishops visiting the Vatican.
"I would propose for your consideration that the Catholic community in your country annually set aside a national day of prayer for priestly vocations," the 84-year-old pontiff urged.
In a report earlier this year, the Vatican said the total number of priests had fallen sharply in North America and Europe between 1961 and 2001. In North America, the number dropped to 57,988 from 71,725 at a time when the population was growing.
Globally, the number of priests was slightly up due to rises in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
On top of cultural changes in the United States that have eroded priestly vocations, reports of widespread sexual abuse by U.S. priests that surfaced in January 2002 have taken their toll.
While the U.S. Catholic population has swelled to over 63 million people compared to 45 million in 1965, priests have been leaving in record numbers and new recruits have fallen off dramatically, according to American Catholic organizations.
As a result, there are now more U.S. priests over the age of 90 than under the age of 30, according to the nonprofit Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.