Priest shortage to affect hospital services

[Praxius]

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1072094.html

There are no longer enough Roman Catholic priests to provide round-the-clock, on-call sacramental care to sick patients at a Halifax hospital.

"The Roman Catholic archdiocese, like many other churches, is challenged by the reality of having fewer and fewer clergy," said a July 25 update on the Capital district health authority’s website.

"As a result, there are not enough priests to continue 24/7 on-call sacramental care to patients."

Effective Aug. 1 at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, there will be eight days per month when no on-call Roman Catholic priest will be available for confession and the anointing of oil between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.

And during those on-call shifts when no priest is available, the duty chaplain at the hospital will be a Roman Catholic layperson who will be responsible for providing care to the patient and family.

On the website, the spiritual and religious care department says it recognizes and regrets that this will have a negative impact on patients and families at times of crisis and emergency.

"We are reviewing the situation, and working with the archdiocese to develop a long-term strategy for addressing this issue," said Neale Bennet, manager of Capital Health’s spiritual and religious care department.

The church simply doesn’t have the number of priests it once had to handle the on-call requirements, Marilyn Sweet, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Halifax, said Thursday.

"And so when they’ve already fulfilled all of their parish obligations, it’s not always possible for them to respond to hospital calls."

The profile of priests is also changing, she said, adding some are older and retired. And not many are under 35.

"It’s one thing to be on call in the middle of the night when you’re 30," Ms. Sweet said. "It’s quite another to be on call when you’re 70."

As well, the need for priests to be on call for sacramental ministry is lower than it used to be, Ms. Sweet said.

Roman Catholic laypersons and deacons also regularly do hospital chaplaincy. In that role, they are able to visit the sick and bring Holy Communion and also able to baptize. These services will continue to be available.

"And the particular role that a priest carries is the role of celebrating the sacraments, two particular sacraments (anointing with oil and confession) with the sick, and that’s the part of the chaplaincy that will not be offered a few nights a month," Ms. Sweet said.

"That’s simply to say we don’t have a priest on call to immediately come when a person might make that request."

"I think it may have a very significant impact on some persons at very particular times. There’s still priests available. There’s still sacramental ministry available most of the time."

Other denominations that have chaplains appointed at the QEII are: Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and United Church.

Is this a sign of a drop in interest towards religions?

 

[Nuggler]

:lol://////////Makes for a bunch of happy altar boys.8O

 

[Praxius]

:lol://////////Makes for a bunch of happy altar boys.8O

Reduction in Sloppy Seconds?

 

[tracy]

I work in a Catholic hospital. More and more little Catholics are being born there everyday . We have a couple of great nuns there. I really don't agree with the Catholic church about much, but I absolutely love the sisters we work with. We don't always have a priest or one of the nuns available right when we need them, so the nurses will step in. I helped baptize a baby with sterile water once. There is no reason to mock their beliefs or ignore their spiritual health just because they happen to be sick.

 

[scratch]

I work in a Catholic hospital. More and more little Catholics are being born there everyday . We have a couple of great nuns there. I really don't agree with the Catholic church about much, but I absolutely love the sisters we work with. We don't always have a priest or one of the nuns available right when we need them, so the nurses will step in. I helped baptize a baby with sterile water once. There is no reason to mock their beliefs or ignore their spiritual health just because they happen to be sick.

It is their undeniable right.

 

[karrie]

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1072094.html



Is this a sign of a drop in interest towards religions?

Yes and no. It's a sign of a drop in swallowing doctrine without criticism. More and more people who in the past would have become priests are instead becoming deacons and such. Have your cake and eat it too.