Can Fallen Priests Be Restored to Ministry? Yes—Here’s How

There has been a lot of attention recently on the relationship between bishops and priests, and rightfully so. This relationship is critical to a flourishing priesthood, and a flourishing priesthood is critical to a flourishing Church. 

In my experience, the erosion of this relationship has been a top priority for the evil one. Why? Because the return on investment is so great. It’s a simple equation: destroy the relationship between spiritual father and spiritual sons → destabilize the priesthood → destabilize the Church → hinder the Church’s mission. 

It’s the same strategy the evil one uses everywhere: strike at the heart of the father, and whisper into the ear of the children: “You can’t trust him.” Once the children are outside the protection of the father, they can be picked off one by one. 

Thanks to the team at The Catholic Project, we have actual data for why this topic is so important. Their research has clearly illustrated that relational trust is one of the most significant predictors of well-being for priests. So, the Church can’t afford to neglect this issue any longer. The very mission of the Church is at stake. 

What is at the heart of this issue?

Ideological divides? Perhaps. Insufficient emphasis on Spiritual Fatherhood? Likely. A forgetfulness of human dignity? Always. 

But those are big topics. Let’s get practical. 

Even if none of the aforementioned issues change in the near future, what is the quickest thing that a diocese can do to begin restoring trust and renewing the presbyteral culture? Is there a way that, even if real differences between certain priests and bishops persist (an issue not new in the history of the Church), we can improve this relationship based simply on the certainty that all will be treated fairly? 

The answer to those questions is to create a clear process for the restoration of ministry for priests who are struggling, in a state of moral injury, or who have engaged in misconduct. 

Obviously, excluded from that category are cases of abuse of minors and other canonical crimes. Those are a very small percentage of priest misconduct cases, however. The majority of cases are priests who have fallen into serious sin, crisis, addiction, and the like, but issues that are not permanently disqualifying from public ministry. 

So, the quickest and most impactful thing that bishops and dioceses can do is devise a compassionate yet accountable process to help restore that priest to integrity of life and public ministry. 

As it is right now, priests in that category (and in general) feel like all priest misconduct will be treated like abuse cases without a possibility of restoration of ministry. According to The Catholic Project, 82 percent of priests regularly fear false accusation. While most bishops and dioceses likely do not feel that this is an accurate perception, can we at least imagine feeling so unsafe in our lives on a regular basis? If “psychological safety” is the number one organizational predictor of effective work (per Google’s Project Aristotle), then we’re in big trouble. 

One reason this reality is so detrimental is that it incentivizes secrecy and excessive privacy—the exact opposite of what you want your presbyteral culture to incentivize. If a priest feels unsafe in bringing his issues to his spiritual father, then what is he going to do? Hide. Lean into secrecy. Tumble into shame. Escape using the very same (or worse) behaviors he wishes he could stop. He feels trapped, with nowhere to turn; and he likely fears every call from the chancery.

The antidote is for each bishop to establish a very clear process for the restoration of the ministry of priests who have sadly fallen or struggled. A well-defined process reintroduces a sense of personal safety and stability, and it takes the first practical step in restoring trust based on justice. That process should include the following: 

• Clearly defined benchmarks (and timelines) for the priest to work toward and be assessed on. These benchmarks include expectations for conversion of life, evidence of psychological and emotional healing, sobriety from problematic behavior, genuine contrition, restitution with wronged parties (if possible), and performance of penances (if necessary).
• Specific ways that these benchmarks will be measured. 
• Evidence-based wellness plans with spiritual, psychological, and physical components. 
• The administration of comprehensive assessments at multiple points in the restoration timeline to help inform decision-making with empirical evidence.
• Once a priest has appeared to meet all benchmarks over a period of time, a lay-led Restoration of Ministry Committee, which advises the bishop on a priest’s suitability, and, if suitable for public ministry, recommendations for the type of ministry and the best support and accountability measures necessary to help him gradually return.

What’s the point of all this? 

First, by solidifying an actual process, a priest can feel a new sense of safety and trust in his bishop. He will know that he will be supported if he struggles and sins and that life isn’t over if he finds himself in a dark place. He will be treated with compassion and supported to regain self-mastery. He will feel confident that the Church has put as much time and resources into restoration as it has into removal. 

Second, this process also establishes that a priest who commits misconduct will not be permitted to return to ministry prematurely, without genuine, legitimate personal transformation. Actual healing, restitution, and conversion of life are necessary. There’s no skipping this step. 

Thirdly, not only does this process safeguard fairness between bishops and priests, it also signals to the laity that they can have confidence that the Church has simultaneously supported her priests and ensured they have undergone a legitimate program of remediation before returning them to ministry. 

Many of these priests, God willing, could be our modern-day Pauls and Augustines. We have to be discerning of the Holy Spirit so that we work toward protecting the Church without depriving her of priests who have been transformed by God’s grace. But, in order for that to happen, the Church has the obligation to provide a sense of safety for priests, and priests have the obligation to seek help if their holiness of life is being threatened. After all, eternal life is more important than public ministry.