Catholic Church

“I don’t promise you a great salary, I promise you a permanent job.”

In a country going through what seems an insurmountable crisis, where half of young Spaniards are unemployed with little prospect of any short-term improvement according to the government, this could be an appealing option.

The Spanish Church is stepping in to offer a solution to youth unemployment, ensuring “an enthralling life” and “an amazing project”.

The Synod of Spanish bishops formulated its new campaign to arouse sacerdotal vocations based on observations given by thousands of priests around Spain.

In the video, clerics formulate promises with a crescendo of religious chants as background music, climaxing with a priest intoning, “And you will be priest, witness of Jesus Christ!”

The Church displayed an unprecedented sense of modernity and innovative communication skills in this campaign as it posted the video on Youtube and socialised it through Twitter and Facebook.

The campaign, which includes posters, leaflets and religious cards, cost €7000, revealed the Confederation’s press director, Isidro Catela.

He referred to it as a “ridiculous cost” considering the huge reach the initiative is aiming for.

Antonio Maria Rouco Verela, Madrid's cardinal archbishop, voiced his concerns "due to the sacerdotal winter that is shaking the Spanish Church."

"Not even milestones such as the World Days of Youth, a luminous experience of the apostolic and catholic character of the Church, have been useful in curbing the lack of candidates for priesthood."

The Spanish Church is now hoping some of the almost 45000 viewers of its Youtube videos will respond to the calling.