UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register
Sue Baars reflects on her father’s contributions to psychiatry and the Church.
by JIM GRAVES
05/21/2012
It is the 40th anniversary since Catholic psychiatrist Conrad Baars (1919-1981) joined with Anna Terruwe to release the book The Role of the Church in the Causation, Treatment and Prevention of the Crisis in the Priesthood. A synthesis of ideas which they had presented to the 1970 Synod of Catholic Bishops, the book described what is today termed emotional deprivation disorder and warned that priests and religious with emotional repression and love deprivation could lead to disaster in the Church. Champions of Baars’ beliefs included Pope Paul VI. …
This lack of affirmation has affected the priesthood and is discussed in your father’s Crisis in the Priesthood book.
When my father and Dr. Terruwe addressed the Synod of Catholic Bishops, they were sharing their experience working with clergy. They discovered that some men admitted to the priesthood were not emotionally mature men; they were not affirmed. It had a negative impact on their priesthood, relationships with their congregations and individuals.
They recommended that when a man was being considered for the seminary that he not just receive psychological testing, but that time be taken to get to know him personally. His warmth and personality is going to have a positive impact on his priesthood and the Church. It can bring people towards God, just as a negative personality is going to turn them away.
While emotional problems contributed to the scandals in the priesthood, I’m pleased to see that much greater attention is being paid now to who is healthy enough to be ordained a priest. There’s a better understanding that there needs to be a human formation as well as a spiritual formation. We’re doing a better job evaluating candidates for the priesthood, and it’s going to be better for the Church as a whole.
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