A shortage of Catholic priests in Ireland is forcing the church to introduce new practices. Recently, the diocese of Cragher A new funeral profession in which lay funeral directors fill roles traditionally held by priests.. The move is expected to help ease the workload of the Emerald Isle’s overburdened clergy.
The new lay funeral service was started by Bishop Larry Duffy, who wrote in a pastoral letter: It’s part of a plan to move away from the “clergy-dependent” model.. The letter went on to say that the measure would not reduce the services provided to families at the time of death, but he said it would “understand the commitment of local parishes to be there for people at such a difficult and sensitive time.” “It will strengthen it,” he said.
The first group of 40 lay ministers will be trained in the Diocese of Clogher and will conduct “funeral services” in 12 parishes. Obviously, these services are not Masses.
The bishop wrote that he had already received requests from several other parishes in the diocese to participate in the service.However, he noted that future pastors must be appointed by the diocese. Training for the next generation of lay funeral ministers could begin as early as spring 2024.
However, the training of new ministers will largely depend on the success of the new program. A traditional Catholic funeral includes a Mass, which can only be celebrated by a Catholic priest. Instead, lay ministers can read scripture, speak on behalf of the deceased, and pray beside the cemetery.they cannot celebrate massTherefore, Mass cannot be celebrated at such funerals.However, clergy may be delegated to distribute Holy Communion.
Bishop Donald McCune of the Diocese of Derry previously warned:Separate Masses for each funeral may soon no longer be the norm in Ireland. The shortage of Catholic priests in Ireland affects almost every diocese in Ireland, with an estimated 2,100 priests across the country.
Too few priests per Catholic
While 2,100 priests seems like a significant number, it falls short when you consider their mandate to care for an estimated 3.5 million Catholics in Ireland. Additionally, of the 2,100 priests, 547 priests are 75 years old and have less than 15 years until retirement, and approximately 300 priests continue to work after retirement.Because there are no seminarians ready to fill that slot. The Irish Independent pointed out that only one seminarian in all of Ireland is expected to be ordained a priest in the next seven years.
In the Diocese of Clogher, which has 37 parishes and 85 churches, there are only 44 priests and two deacons. This means that many priests visit multiple churches each week to celebrate Sunday’s liturgy, more than doubling their duties. The introduction of lay funerals may be a boon for busy priests, but it is only a stopgap. Bishop Duffy suggested that by 2043 there could be fewer than 10 priests in the Diocese of Colgar unless more vocations come.
