Every Catholic must tackle vocations crisis, says bishop

The new Bishop of Ossory has warned all Catholics that if they fail to develop a “culture of vocations” we will no longer have a Church.

Dr Dermot Farrell, who was ordained as Bishop of Ossory on Sunday, said that although those in ministry have a role in promoting vocations, the laity have a crucial responsibility to build and encourage potential candidates for the priesthood.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the bishop said: “That’s a very particular responsibility, not just on the bishop but on every Catholic person to promote vocations to the priesthood. Ultimately, if you don’t have priests, you have to say, well what sort of a Church have we? Do we have a Church at all if we have no priests?

“The Eucharist and the Church are intimately connected but priests and the Eucharist are obviously interconnected as well. You try to envisage a Church in Ireland which has no priests, what have we got then? We don’t have a Church,” he said.

Dr Farrell, who taught Moral Theology in Maynooth and was President of St Patrick’s College from 1996 to 2007 said support for the priesthood has dwindled largely due to cultural shifts around religion and the role of priests today.

“In those times there was a different cultural matrix in terms of a support for priesthood and support for someone who declared themselves to be a candidate. I do think that’s changed now, I don’t think there’s the same level or universal level of support for candidates when they go for the priesthood now,” he said.

In response to the shortage of priests, the bishop said lay involvement and lay participation is critical, noting that his previous parish in Meath could not have functioned without their work.

Renewal

Although he said August’s World Meeting of Families could help create some sort of renewal, he cautioned that it would be “foolish” to imagine Pope Francis could solve all the Irish Church’s problems.

“It has to be done parish by parish, diocese by diocese. Certainly, Pope Francis will give some impetus, but it won’t be instant renewal. “It takes time and it takes effort. It takes commitment and it takes programming,” he said.

Read full interview here