Wave of suicides by Brazilian priests

Father Lício: Suicide among priests in Brazil

Suicide is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. In the case of priests, several studies indicate that the main risk factors are stress, loneliness and excessive demands.

Father Lício de Araújo Vale - Diocese of São Miguel Paulista 

(Father Licio's father took his own life)

Even though faith is an essential ally to give meaning to life, and priests are important foundations for living the faith, something has happened that goes beyond the strength of belief and vocation. I have recorded the reported suicide of priests in Brazil. My research begins with the death of Fr Bonifácio Buzzi, aged 57, in Três Corações-MG, on 7 August 2016 and ends with the death of Fr Mário Castro, aged 55, in the Diocese of Roraima, on 19 June 2023. From August 2016 to June 2023, 40 priests killed themselves in Brazil.

Suicide is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. In the case of priests, several studies point out that the main risk factors are stress, loneliness and excessive pressure. Pope Francis adds the issue of clericalism: "Clericalism is a plague in the Church", he said in an interview on the flight back from Fatima on 14/05/2017.

(Cathcon: Such attacks, repeating the rhetoric of atheistic socialists, are part of the problem not part of the solution.  The Pope is representing self-hatred that can lead to suicide) 

Nowadays, both the Church and the priests themselves face the challenge of acting in an increasingly individualistic, secularised and spectacularised society, which presents great demands caused by social changes and the plurality of values. The evolution experienced by post-modern society has left its mark on the life of the Church, causing a change in the image that people have of her and, consequently, of her priests.

Various contingencies affect the reality of the priest today. In this article, I invite you to reflect on just one of them: the dilemma between the theological and the sociological image of the priest.

In many cases, the theological image of the priest contrasts with the sociological image attributed to him in so-called post-modern society. The theological image is that which the priest projects when he celebrates the sacraments and sacramentals and when he relates to his closest collaborators. On the other hand, the sociological image is the one that the priest receives from society, often different from the one he has of himself, which can cause stress, loneliness and dejection. The contradiction between these two images can lead the priest to undervalue the theological image, or to cloister himself in it. In this way, he can move in an ambivalence that makes it easier for him to move from one image to the other. Moreover, overvaluing the theological image can lead him to underestimate the sociological image and cultivate the desire to occupy a position in society, while undervaluing this theological image can lead him to question it and see it as a product of an exaggerated theology.

Therefore, the challenge for priests in this regard is not to run away from reality by taking refuge in the theological image of the priest, but neither should they ignore the sociological image of them in today's society. Moreover, they must live consistently the theological dimension of the priesthood, which is so much questioned by the social reality in all its aspects. This is the case of a newly ordained priest who is dazzled by his theological image, which is why he takes refuge in it and identifies himself only as a priest, but begins to distance himself from his humanity, from his "being a person" with qualities and defects. I would like to remind you here that in the case of the priestly vocation the Lord calls "persons". To "be a priest", one must first "be".

Thus, evading one's true reality can result in a fragmented personality, including the appearance of psychological disorders. The twenty-first century is characterised by a different rhythm, in which individualism, urbanisation, artificial intelligence, the metaverse, or another reality, reign. Being a priest in the 21st century implies a new discovery for the Church, because previous paradigms and the experience of predecessor priests do not answer all the questions that ordained ministers face today. Adapting to the present time through faithful and effective service to the call of the Gospel requires eyes and ears attentive to the signs of the times, the ability to attend to thirsty hearts in this changing epoch, and self-care.

Finally, it is relevant to recognise the importance and urgency of better initial formation in seminaries and novitiates (working more effectively on the human-affective dimension), the creation of more appropriate pastoral strategies not only for ongoing formation but also for the care of priests themselves, as well as addressing the fear and prejudice regarding the mental health of priests.

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