Miami, USA ― Pope Benedict is praising America as a land of opportunity, where hope is "part of the American character." The German-born pontiff has been celebrating his first public Mass in the U.S. While here in the U.S., one of the pressing problems the Pope is confronting is the decline in vocations to the priesthood.
The church will not consider allowing priests to marry, and new scrutiny is directed at those who choose the priesthood in the wake of recent sex abuse scandals.
CBS4's Michael Williams recently spoke with two young men at a Miami seminary about their calling and commitment.
Peter Dionne and Ben Lehnertz are on a path toward Catholic priesthood. It is a deeply personal, spiritual journey for two young men from the Orlando area, who now attend St. John Vianney Seminary.
"This wonderful reality I wake up to of following Christ is such a gift, and I see so many people hunger for that," Peter Dionne told CBS4's Michael Williams.
The two study for and consider a vocation that fully embraces Catholic faith, the church, service to others and the acceptance of a celibate life.
"In no way will priesthood inhibit me from living out a fatherly love for people of God and the church, the only thing I forego is but even celibacy is an expression of my sexuality," explain Seminarian Ben Lehnertz.
These are two young men who are willing to define love without sex and talk about God in ways that many often do not.
"That's just a struggle to recognize God and God's presence, which isn't easy, because our society is not one that recognizes God's presence all the time."
Dionne and Lehnertz welcome the visit of Pope Benedict and his pastoral call to faith and service. It is especially needed as priestly vocations continue to decline, and the priest sex abuse scandal cast a giant shadow.
"We've seen the scandals from financial to sexual, pedophilia, homosexuality. We realize the church is both human and divine."
But both young men say they choose to embrace the church in time of need rather than turn away. They hope that will lead to ordination after five more years of study.
As both men continue on their spiritual journeys, they say they've received a lot of support.