23 October 2026

I have heard that the Archdiocese of Glasgow has taken steps to close half the churches in its jurisdiction. Whilst there has been a redistribution of the population in some areas of Glasgow, it is also the case that mass attendance has fallen dramatically. Some healthy pruning has been necessary. So also the Kirk.

It is also the case that there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of vocations to the priesthood in Poland. This was a country like Ireland where there was always an excess of priests so much so that Polish priests were to be found all over the world. Now they are recruiting from Africa to fill the vacancies.

The shortage of priests has become such a concern in Belgium that Bishop Johan Bonny, Bishop of Antwerp, told the Vatican that several married men were studying for the priesthood in his diocese. It  has fewer than 70 priests under 70 and nearly two-thirds of them are from abroad.

As a result, the Diocese of Antwerp cannot assign priests exclusively to its hospitals, youth movements or schools. Only one of the five prisons has a permanent chaplain. ‘This is woefully insufficient,’ said the Bishop, ‘Flanders has exhausted its reserves.’

Apparently, a bishop does not need approval from the Vatican to ordain a priest. Their ordinations would be valid regardless but if the Vatican objected, their ordinations whilst valid would also  be illicit. All the time, the Church acknowledges that there are already thousands of married priests in the RC Church.

Married priest from the Anglican Church who converted to Rome have been ordained into the RC Church. In addition, there is a tradition of married priests in the Eastern Catholic Church. There are plenty of precedents for Bishop Bonny even before he considers the ministry of the Church of Scotland!