Abstract

With greater sensitivity to the issues around sexual abuse, and keen to minimise potential pastoral damage and legal exposure, the church is finding an increasing number of ordained men unable to operate in pastoral ministry, on leave or with suspended faculties. However, the problem is not restricted to just criminal matters. The continuing shortage of vocations to the priesthood has led to an increasing willingness to overlook other personality issues that are serious impediments to the ability of newly ordained priests to operate effectively in their ministry settings. Often these problems emerge within a year or two of ordination, by which stage there may be no practical solution beyond a permanent suspension of priestly faculties.