Why regular Papal accusations of clericalism are just so wrong. Psychologist: “General suspicion” contributes to the stress of priests

Above all additional burdens led to excessive stress on clergy

A Pope who is not a good pastor to Christ's Priests 

cannot be a good pastor of the Universal Church

Priests want to be pastors, but they also have to have managerial qualities. Many people have the impression that they are under “general suspicion”: All of this often leads to excessive demands, says an expert. And celibacy could also become a factor.

According to the psychotherapist and head of the Recollectio House Münsterschwarzach, Corinna Paeth, additional stress in addition to their actual tasks leads to excessive demands on priests. Administrative tasks, the consequences of the abuse scandal and conflicts in the pastoral teams contribute to the situation being overwhelmed, said Paeth in an interview with “Domradio” on Thursday. Many priests who are guests in the house feel called to be pastors or “shepherds of their community”. However, the “emotional overload” could contribute to an imbalance.

The priestly profession has become more challenging in recent years, Paeth continued. "They perform tasks that they are often not actually trained for and that often have more to do with human resources management." In many dioceses there are still no administrative managers who would relieve them of such tasks. But the abuse scandal in particular has clearly shaken the reputation of the profession, "so that some people have the impression that they are under general suspicion and are exposed to a lot of critical scrutiny, and that many parishioners have also turned away from the church and the parish," emphasized the psychotherapist.

Celibacy can also be a component

Celibacy can also become a problematic component when overburdened, says Paeth. Many of the guests in the Recollectio House accepted celibacy with inner certainty and stood by it. But the emotional stress leads to a certain emotional need growing. "Or at some point you gradually ask yourself the question: Don't I need more physical closeness? Don't I also want to pursue my sexual needs?" The question of whether one can live a celibate life may only arise over the years. However, according to Paeth, the reasons for excessive demands can also be that priests have not adequately dealt with their own sexuality or emotionality when they were younger.

The Recollectio House is located on the grounds of the Benedictine Abbey of Münsterschwarzach. Religious, priests and pastoral staff can take a break there to recover physically, mentally and spiritually. The institution, founded 28 years ago, is supported by the Benedictine abbey of Münsterschwarzach and the eight (arch)dioceses of Freiburg, Fulda, Limburg, Mainz, Munich and Freising, Paderborn, Rottenburg-Stuttgart and Würzburg. Four-week and three-month courses are offered.

Source

Cathcon:  Cardinal Fernandez in an interview claimed, "Pope Francis believes that clericalism is the main reason for the emergence of abuse in the church, even more than the "sexualization of society" because it lacks humility and respect for people."

Such playing down of sin and the necessary penance is what got the Catholic Church into this mess.    Attacking priestly vocations by constantly attacking priests for clericalism is no solution and only leads to bigger problems.