Bishops to limit tenure of parish priests

THE Catholic bishops have issued a new directive allowing them to limit a parish priest’s tenure to six years.

The move, which will affect appointments made from this November, is aimed at forcing transfers on priests who are reluctant to move from parishes where they are settled.

But the plan is set for a mixed welcome with some clergy arguing that frequent transfers can upset progress in parishes.

One long-serving parish priest said the initial impetus for the directive came from younger priests who became “restless” to be given parishes.

The Dublin-based priest, who asked not to be named, said older clergy had warned their younger colleagues not to push the point as while it might suit them now, it would cause instability for them later in their service.

“The bishops are giving us no stature or standing in the church at this stage,” he said.

“This thing of being able to shift fellows around, whether the fellows are agreeable or not - apart altogether from somebody being guilty of misconduct or not doing a good job - is ridiculous.

“Frankly, I would be unhappy with it. But it doesn’t affect us older men because we indicated we would not be accepting it.”

The new terms limit rule is announced in the latest issue of the priests’ magazine Intercom.

It is at this time of the year that priests are usually informed whether or not they are to be moved to a new parish.

Generally, priests obey their bishops without any objection but it is understood some priests have objected in recent times to their bishops moving them from a parish in which they had served for many years.

Bishops already have the authority to insist a parish priest retire from the parish on reaching 75 years.

Before the revision of Canon Law in 1983 it was the practice to leave a parish priest in place permanently, according to Father Michael Mullaney, a Canon Law expert. A bishop did not have power to limit his term of office.

After the 1983 revision, this was changed but only if the local bishops’ conference passed a specific decree permitting it.

Now the Irish hierarchy has done so and, according to the Intercom article, the bishops have applied - and received - permission from Rome to issue the decree.

Part of the new decree reads: “Individual diocesan bishops may appoint parish priests to a six-year term of office. The possibility of renewing the term is left to the discretion of the diocesan bishop.”