#and I don't think the North has any particular extra population

[nimblermortal]

Priests, Priestlings, and Commitment to the Church

A priest can go into contract with a boy for him to become an apprentice priest, in which case he is called a priestling, priestling is a word, isn't that great! (If the boy is a minor, it has to be an agreement with his legal administrator.)

If the boy goes, "This sucks, I'm not doing it" then he has to be put to other work without being, ah, "chastised such that he suffers illness or lasting injury." He is then allowed to change his mind and go back to studying for the priesthood. The priest has to provide him with all the tools of the trade (go apprenticeships!).

If a priest decides to just skive off, he gets full outlawry, anyone who shelters him gets full outlawry, and he is to be "claimed in the same way as slaves." I am fairly confident this is not the punishment for people skiving off other work.