A COLUMBAN priest has submitted a discussion paper to the National Council of Priests convention in Roma from September 6-10 to address the dire shortage of priests in Australia.
In his paper, Columban Father Charles Rue, of the Columban Centre for Peace, Ecology and Justice at North Turramurra in Sydney, argues against priests being invited from overseas to ‘fill the gaps’ in Australian parishes.
To illustrate the extent of the clergy shortage, Fr Rue cites the example of an 80 year-old priest ministering in two parishes and examples of many priests being brought in from India, Poland and other countries to ‘fill gaps’ in Australian parishes.
‘While local Catholics are grateful, both cases are but stopgap measures with no realistic plans by Church authorities to have the sacraments celebrated by local Australian diocesan priests,’ he said.
Fr Rue said Catholic communities had a right to regular celebration of the Eucharistic and other sacraments, ‘and probably by somebody from their own culture rather than imported priests’.
Fr Rue decided to submit the discussion paper in the hope of gaining support for a submission being prepared for the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist in October next year.
