Nearly 60 percent of Irish Catholic priests say celibacy should not be compulsory — but almost the same number think scrapping the rule would not help to improve recruitment levels, a survey showed on Thursday.
An end to compulsory celibacy has been proposed by some Catholics as a way to answer priest shortages in Western countries but bishops have rejected calls for change.
The survey, conducted for The Irish Catholic newspaper, showed 57 percent of priests in the country thought celibacy should not be compulsory.
“However, The Irish Catholic survey found that the celibacy rule is not necessarily seen to have a bearing on the level of vocations to the priesthood,” the newspaper said.
Some 60 percent of respondents believed abolishing compulsory celibacy would not lead to an increase in vocations.
But the vast majority of those surveyed did favor change in the Church, such as having permanent deacons who would perform similar functions to priests and could be married or single. Deacons would not hear confession or conduct certain ceremonies.
Of those surveyed, 59 percent were over 55 -- highlighting one of the biggest problems facing the Catholic clergy over the next decade: a sharp fall in its ranks as aging priests die or retire.
The clergy shortage — and scandals of priests sexually abusing children or having children out of wedlock — have spurred calls for reform to the celibacy rule.
But the Church’s hierarchy has staunchly defended a tradition that dates from at least the 12th century.
In March, Switzerland’s Catholic bishops refused to break ranks with the Vatican and launch far-reaching reforms. In the United States, priests began writing letters last year urging an end to celibacy but their bishops rejected the suggestion.
Some 1,300 priests responded to The Irish Catholic survey. Ireland has nearly 3,000 priests and around 90 percent of the country’s population are Catholics.