Around half of the clergy in a Catholic diocese spanning four counties are ‘cocooning’ as a result of new Government restrictions aimed at combating the Covid 19 pandemic.
Fr Brendan Quinlivan said today 34 of the 70 priests in the Diocese of Killaloe are over the age of 70 and and are ‘cocooning’ in line with new Government measures aimed to minimising the spread of the Coronavirus.
Diocesan spokesman, Fr Quinlivan said that a number of those priests are fully retired and a few are in nursing home care.
The diocese stretches from Loop Head on the Atlantic coast in west Clare to Kinnity in Co Offaly and takes in parts of Co Tipperary and Co Limerick.
One of those cocooning at his Ennis home is former Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh who said on Monday that ‘cocooning’ for formerly busy priests aged over 70 across the country is ‘traumatic’ for them.
Now fully retired from priestly duties, Dr Walsh stated: “For some priests over 70 who were still working, I would expect it is traumatic when you would find yourself almost not needed anymore.”
He added: “The world hasn’t stopped because we don’t have public masses and it is a reminder to us and a humbling experience for us.
"That we don’t seem to be needed and the world is churning on without us being very busy.”
