Catholic vocations collapse - Out of kilter

The impact that decades of scandal and hypocrisy have had on the Catholic Church’s position in this society can be seen in the fact that only 14 young men are taking part in the first year of study needed to join the priesthood in Ireland.

In England and Wales, where there are four million Catholics compared to Ireland’s 4.65m, there are 57 young men studying in the hope of being ordained. Neither of these statistics suggest a secure future for the traditional Catholic Church but one that will depend on far greater participation by the laity in the running of religious affairs even though that cohort is declining within Catholicism too.

These figures bring into question the continuing dominance of our education system, especially our primary schools, by Catholic patronage. Despite all efforts to reflect how our society has changed earlier this month Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan had to concede that, despite a clear Government policy, changes in school patronage are not happening as quickly as they should. These figures on vocations strengthen the argument for that change.