Bishop: Sick and elderly suffer in priest shortage

The sick, elderly and bereaved in the diocese of Cork are suffering as there are not enough priests to cater for their spiritual needs.

According to the Bishop of Cork and Ross, priests in the diocese are “so run off their feet” they cannot make as many visits to the housebound as they traditionally did.

The diocese has disclosed a number of priests are opting to work beyond the normal retirement age of 75 as they realise there are not sufficient numbers to replace them.

There are over 100 priests in Cork and Ross but most are aged 55-60. To cater for a decreased number of vocations, large numbers of parishes have been combined and 90% of the diocese’s Catholic schools now have a lay chairperson rather than a priest at the helm.

Bishop Buckley will tell those gathered at today’s Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, where priests renew their vows, that the lack of priests remains “an acute difficulty” as more priests are retiring than are being ordained.

In his message, he asks local parish communities “to pray ceaselessly that there would be sufficient priests in the years ahead”.

A native of the Cork ity centre Cathedral parish, Ben Hodnett, who is in his late 20s, is to be ordained to the priesthood in June this year and another student, Marius O’Reilly, in his late 30s, is to be ordained a deacon next Tuesday in Rome.

The bishop speaks also of the need for priests in society as they can help with feelings of “helplessness in today’s superficial world”.

“The priest is a bearer of good news. People today are asking fundamental questions, as Pope Francis recently said, about the meaning of life. Young people are getting tired of social networking as it is incapable of providing them with what they need as human beings — a purpose and a meaning in life,” he said.

“Modern technology which, of course, has great potential, has built bridges between people but has not brought people together. There is a real danger that young people will turn to alcohol and drugs to manage and suppress their feelings of helplessness in today’s superficial world.”

There are currently six training as permanent deacons for Cork and Ross and a further six men training to be priests at seminaries. There are two Polish priests and one Indian priest working in the diocese already.

With Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII to be made saints next Tuesday, Bishop Buckley said the canonisation will be “a unique occasion” with two popes being canonised and two others, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, likely to be present.

In his address, Bishop Buckley will congratulate “the vibrant Polish Catholic community” in Cork on the canonisation of Blessed John Paul II.

Blessed John XXIII, had been pope from 1958 to 1963 and convened the Second Vatican Council.