Irish Priestly Vocations in Worrying Decline

Irish Priestly Vocations in Worrying Decline | Michael Kelly | Catholic World Report



Number of priests projected to shrink by 75 percent in the next 30 years.

For a week last June, the International Eucharistic Congress, held in
Dublin, was a beacon of light and vibrancy that Irish Catholicism has been
sadly lacking in recent years. Almost two decades of clerical abuse scandals,
bishops resigning for failing to protect children, and an often-hostile media
reveling in the Church’s misfortune have taken their toll.

The Eucharistic Congress afforded Irish Catholics the opportunity to come
together and celebrate their common faith. Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin
said “the extraordinary interest that was shown for the workshops and
catecheses of the Congress tells us just how much thirst there is in our
Catholic community to deepen the understanding of our faith.”

The Dublin Eucharistic Congress provided a striking counterbalance to a
creeping narrative that sees Irish Catholicism in terminal decline.

Irish Catholics have shown a resilience in the face of aggressive
secularism and Church failings that has surprised many.

“More than one-third of Irish Catholics attend Mass every week,” says
David Quinn, director of the Iona Institute, a pro-religion think-tank. “Of
course, we’d like it to be higher, but that is a large base to build on.”

However, at the same time, a recent survey found that 75 percent of Irish
Catholics say the Church’s teaching on human sexuality has no relevance to
them. This, Quinn believes, points to the need for the Church to work harder to
get its message across. “Priests need support so that they can preach what the
Church teaches,” he believes.

But priests in Ireland are becoming few and far between. And as hundreds
of priests die or retire in coming years, who will take their place? Who will
be there to quench the thirst that Archbishop Martin speaks of or celebrate the
Eucharist?

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