Dr. John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Rosswith schoolgirls from the Secred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty at the careers fair

Tuesday.

With ordinations and trainee uptake on the floor Bishop John Buckley and other representatives of the Diocese of Cork and Ross showed up at a careers’ fair in Cork’s Rochestown Hotel, run by the Institute of Guidance Councillors.

From the Cork Evening Echo:

Teenagers at the fair expressed their concerns about the priesthood, like the lack of women and the celibacy vow, but Bishop Buckley said that he was not sure what impact changes to Church policy would have.

“Celibacy is a regulation of the Church,” Bishop Buckley said. “Certainly, in the years ahead, people might look at that, and I wouldn’t see any difficulty, if they see that it’s absolutely necessary. But whether it would help increase the number of vocations, I’m not sure.

“Other denominations, which allow ministers to marry, are seeing a shortage of vocations,” Bishop Buckley said.

Speaking at the fair, one girl said that the Church should consider allowing women priests, if it really wants to connect with people.

“If a woman became a priest, I would have no problem in confiding in her, or anything like that.I think a lot of girls, maybe, would be more comfortable in confiding in a woman than a male priest,” she said.

Bishop Buckley says celibacy is not the problem (David Linnane, Cork Evening Echo)

Pic via Cork Evening Echo