Vatican: Numbers of European priests fall

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The number of priests has decreased worldwide in the last quarter-century, with the sharpest fall in Europe - where there are now 20 percent fewer Roman Catholic clerics, the Vatican said.

Experts say the reasons for the drop are complex, but they cite increasing secularization in Europe; some also cite a broader culture that devalues celibacy.

The Vatican, in figures released Saturday, said the number of priests worldwide fell from 420,971 in 1978 to 405,891 in 2004 - a decrease of 3.5 percent. A Vatican statement called the decline "rather disappointing."

In Europe, the number of priests fell by 20 percent - from 250,498 in 1978 to 199,978 in 2004.
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