Reportage

Lack of priests in Ireland: "I may be the last in the parish"

Audio 01:18

St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, in 2009 (photo illustration).

AP - Niall Carson

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

There are no longer enough priests in Ireland.

Of more than 2,100 parish priests, only 50 remain under the age of 40.

The situation is becoming increasingly urgent, points out a new study by the Irish Priesthood Association.

According to projections, there will be no more in practice within twenty years, if nothing is done.

That's why clergy are urging Rome to modernize the Church to attract more young volunteers and replace tired old priests.

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With our correspondent in Dublin,

In this Dublin church, there is only one priest left.

Marie has been coming to pray here for 50 years and she has seen the masses gradually suppressed.

We didn't realize how lucky we were at the time.

I am desperate, women are welcome to sweep the floors, but they are still excluded from the Church.

If this church is still open, it is indeed thanks to the help of these three sisters who remain in the background behind the pulpit of Father John Collins.

At 70, he still has no young deacon in sight as he is due to retire in five years.

I may be the last parish priest.

There is pressure for the priests to continue.

It adds stress.

Some of our priests are falling ill.

You have to be very strong to survive the Catholic Church today.

Mass ends.

Father Collins has to run to another church where the priest was not replaced after his death due to a real vocations crisis.

There is no reason to ban married clergy.

You know, singleness is not for everyone!

There is no reason why women should not be ordained.

They shouldn't wait any longer.

But I think it will take time for the Church to align with my ideas!

To survive, the Catholic Church is forced to recruit from the other side of the world.

Nigerian, Polish or Indian priests.

►Read again: In Ireland, soon women priests or deacons in the Catholic Church?

(2019)

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• Ireland

• Religion

• christianity