RITE AND REASON:As the cohort of priests continues to decline, priests and parishioners face a possibly painful re-education if they are to successfully engage with changed realities, writes EUGENE DUFFY
THE PARISH still commands a great sense of loyalty in Ireland, but strangely the place of the church at its heart is not as strong as it once was. The original focus and mission of the parish as a place where the community gathered for worship and to share a common destiny is greatly diminished.
There is significant change afoot. The cohort of Catholic priests is ageing and declining, so soon many will no longer have a resident priest. This will mark a dramatic change in a country that once had one of the best ratios of priests to parishioners.
The parish is more about people than about territory, buildings or clergy. The emphasis is on a community that is capable of a significant mission in society. Responsibility for this mission is not confined to the clergy but is carried by all the baptised. Previously, it was assumed, wrongly, that this was the sole concern of the parish clergy. This assumption is so deeply embedded that it requires a serious educational effort to overcome it.
One of the strengths of the church in Ireland today is that there are several thousand people who have studied theology or related topics. These can contribute to the ministry and wider faith formation that is needed. Unless people have prayed and reflected seriously on their faith, then they will not be in any position to contribute to the redevelopment of parish life. Goodwill alone is not enough.
Most dioceses in Ireland are now looking at ways to effect greater collaboration among local parishes. They are forming new pastoral areas or clusters to provide for the spiritual, sacramental and pastoral needs of their respective communities.
The real shortage of priests has not yet impacted on Ireland. When it does, more radical solutions must be addressed.
Where a parish priest cannot be appointed, one priest may be appointed to assume the pastoral care of several parishes. A team of priests with a moderator may care for a number of parishes. The team could be composed of a deacon, lay persons or religious, with a priest as moderator. A deacon or lay person alone may exercise the leadership of the parish under the direction of a priest. Often, a priest may only be available to a parish to celebrate the sacraments.
In Ireland to date only the first two options have been really implemented. The second appears to be the less satisfactory and is in decline in many parts of the world. The other options are on the increase and will have to be taken up here. Two challenges will then have to be faced. Priests and parishioners will have to be re-educated to engage with these realities. Secondly, parishes will have to be prepared to generate the funding to finance this change. Neither task is to be underestimated.
Nevertheless, the issues need to be faced, sooner rather than later, if the parish as a viable reality is to be sustained.
Rev Dr Eugene Duffy is lecturer in theology and religious studies at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. He is is editor of Parishes in Transition(Columba Press, 2010)