Crisis in the Identity of the Priesthood - Fr. Timothy Bartlett at 'Living Church' Congress, Belfast

A leading Belfast cleric has warned that a significant number of priests are suffering an identity crisis due to the increasing demands of their vocation. 

Addressing participants at the ‘Living Church’ Congress in Belfast at the weekend, Fr Timothy Bartlett said the Church was currently suffering from “a crisis in the identity of the priesthood”.

According to Fr Bartlett, “After the second Vatican Council we quite properly invested a lot our time and effort in helping the lay faithful become aware of their common vocation culture in Baptism and their particular vocation in the Church.

“However, one of the unforeseen consequences of that has been a crisis in the identity of priesthood. I know a lot of priests have felt that,” he said.

Issuing a stern caution against the dangers of clericalism, Fr Bartlett appealed to the laity to support priests and to remind the clergy of their specific and unique role in the life of the Church.

“There is a danger on the one hand of clericalising the laity and there is also a danger of the clergy becoming clericalised,” Fr Bartlett warned.

Above from and continued here; The Irish Catholic - Priesthood Suffering Crisis of Identity - Fr. Tim Bartlett

*My own comment, we need to Pray for our Priests and also allow our Priests to be Priests.  There is a danger of clericalising the Laity and we need to take a look in our own Parishes at what we can do to pray for Vocations and to assist and encourage our Priests in their Priesthood.   In my own opinion there is too much talk about lay involvement in the Church when nothing is being done to encourage vocations. We must do more to encourage vocations in our own Parishes and pray to Our Lord who asks us to pray to Him for more workers for the Harvest.