Pray with the Pope: Understand and back our priests

by Chris Chatteris SJ · April 6, 2026

Every month Fr Chris Chatteris SJ reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention –

Intention: Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

There are two classic moments when priests go through crises: soon after their ordination, and in middle age.

In the first instance, there are two possible reasons. One is that he and his formators have failed to face up to a fundamental personal problem. The responsibilities of the priesthood quickly force the issue. For example, maybe this man is really not called to the priesthood but to marriage. The emotional vulnerability of priestly work will normally reveal this fact.

The second reason is the sheer shock of the change caused by ordination. One day the young man is on one side of the altar, and the next he’s on the other. One day he’s listening to homilies, and the next, he’s delivering them. One day, he goes to confession, the next day he’s hearing confessions and feeling overwhelmed.

I remember wondering, as a newly-ordained priest, how these good penitents, some of whom were two or three times my age, could possibly put their souls into my inexperienced hands.

Pastorally paralysed

Another vivid memory I have is of my first funeral. All went well until we arrived at the grave in a vast and desolate cemetery in a bleak London suburb. As the deceased man was being let down into the earth, his widow became distraught, screaming that she simply could not leave her husband behind in such an awful place! The other mourners eventually calmed her down, but for a moment I felt pastorally paralysed.

In other words, the honeymoon after ordination can end rapidly and brutally, and this might set off an early crisis.

The Holy Father’s intention wisely points to what clergy in crisis need — counsel and community. Hence the tradition of placing young priests with wise and experienced older pastors for guidance and support.

The problem, however, is often that the bishop or superior may be able to let the young man have only a year or two under supervision before giving him his own parish. This can create a sink-or-swim situation. Not only is the young priest still acquiring pastoral experience, but he now also needs to shoulder the heavy responsibility of leadership.

He must also beware that the authority and power of being the priest-in-charge will not go to his head and create conflict with the lay leaders of the parish.

The need for prayer

Apart from counsel and community, studies suggest, there are two other important pillars of support for priests, whether in crisis or not. These are more interior — contemplation and creativity — and I believe they are essential for navigating the midlife crisis which can hit a priest in his forties or fifties.

The priesthood is ultimately one huge act of faith and therefore needs to be nourished by a daily deepening of a relationship with God in prayer.

I used to say to men in formation: “If you don’t pray; you won’t stay.” I have since modified my position somewhat. I now think that it is possible for a priest to stay in the priesthood with little or no prayer — but he will be empty, unhappy and absent in spirit.

And in that sense, the priest will have left us.