Priests are overworked, isolated, etc.

A NEWS item recently from the US reported that many

American priests are stressed out, burned out due to the load they

carry, and that many of them feel isolated. To top it all, they are

assailed now by a lot of scandals ranging from financial mismanagement

and sexual abuses.

  

            My immediate reaction to this item is, of course, to pray

for them. Let us hope that both the concerned Church authorities and

the priests themselves would find some effective solutions to these

problems.

  

            I also felt that there must be some relation between these

problems of overwork and isolation, and the consequent scandals that

now stain the image of priests in the US. When one is tired,

exhausted, feeling isolated and uncared for, I believe we have a

terrible mix that makes one most susceptible to all kinds of anomalies

and disorders.

  

            What also came to my mind is that more or less the same

problems beset many of our local priests also. At least the few I know

complain about having so much work that they can hardly cope and that

they want to have someone who can listen to them and share their

plight. They want to vent out some bad air that is compressing in

their heart.

  

            These problems are always a challenge to the Church

authorities who should come up and animate appropriate programs,

structures and networks. More than these, they should find ways of how

to go to the personal level of each of the priests in their care.

  

            The care for priests should step out of the impersonal

bureaucratic mold. The relation between bishops and priests and among

priests should be fraternal and friendly. If this atmosphere is

missing, something drastic and immediate should be done to resolve it.

  

            One idea in this direction could be the promotion of

priestly societies that would foster priestly fraternity that is

vivified by a particular charism or spirituality. All priests should

be encouraged to join these societies. These societies can help

eliminate or at least minimize that dangerous situation where priests

would feel isolated and uncared for.

  

            The practice of spiritual direction, confession or just

friendly chats where issues, problems and difficulties are brought out

should be constantly encouraged. It cannot be denied that many of the

priests have the tendency to keep to themselves, not wanting to open

up to anyone.

  

            In that way, they do not become transparent which is a

condition the enemies of God and of our soul like so much. Priests

should learn to be brutally sincere about the condition of their

spiritual and priestly life. They have to call a spade a spade. Hiding

things that are significant in priestly life would be like keeping a

pact with the devil.

  

            It is when priests have spiritual direction, confession or

chat with a friend that they can be better helped in their life of

prayers and sacrifice, so indispensable in priestly life and ministry.

It is undebatable that when a priest’s life of prayer and sacrifice is

not in order, his priestly life and ministry will simply collapse

sooner or later.

  

            In spiritual direction, confession or chats, priestly

problems and issues can be better sorted out and given appropriate

solutions, suggestions and action.

              I know that dioceses hold for their ongoing formation for

priests regular annual retreats and monthly days of recollection.

These means of formation are always good, except that many priests

attend them mainly for compliance purposes.

  

            Hardly anything about spiritual conversion or growth and

enrichment is achieved. How to have the proper effects of these means

of formation is indeed a great challenge for everyone! But no matter

how daunting the challenge is, both Church authorities and priests

themselves should just persist in finding the appropriate solutions.