Morale is low and motivation is lacking among Irish priests today, Father John Littleton, president of the National Council of Priests of Ireland, said yesterday.
"All agree there is a certain crisis of priestly identity," he said.Speaking at the international assembly of representatives of English-speaking priests' conferences in Dublin, he said, "Leadership is often inadequate" and there is among priests "varying degrees of laziness or burnout, both due to confusion on identity".
Priests need to learn that for many, in an increasingly secular society, they are "not really very relevant anymore". But they need to learn to be happy in their irrelevance.
"Priestly identity is not dependant on one's own certainty or doubt. It is not diminished by doubt or other people's attitudes. It is about being, rather than doing," he said. Many priests, especially younger ones, "feel they must be doing something all the time. It is more important to be a priest rather than to be caught up in function". Sometimes priests allow themselves to be "hijacked", which is why people see their work as another branch of social work. There is "often very little care shown for priests by the hierarchy" so they (priests) should take responsibility for doing so among themselves by developing the spirit of fraternity. This should extend to "wholesome friendships and appropriate relationships" with lay people also, remembering "all are called to be chaste. To live a life of chastity appropriate to their lives, including married couples".
Father Littleton said celibacy was "a reality". But the celibate priest should be able to relate to people so they might say, 'wouldn't he be a great husband/father?' Celibacy shouldn't be be seen as an opting out of relationships. "We are made to seek out companionship."
