Priest levels down 20% since 2009

The Catholic Church is facing a critical shortage of clergy after losing one in five of its diocesan priests in just five years.

There were 2,536 active diocesan priests attached to the country’s churches in 2009, but that has slumped to 2,050, a drop of 20% that leaves many of the 1,359 parishes struggling for personnel.

Reform group the Association of Catholic Priests has announced that its annual general meeting later this year will focus specifically on the crisis in vocations.