IRELAND
Sunday World
Friday 12th December 2014
● FR. BRIAN D’ARCY
Thirty-Three Good Men is a book which analyses the lives and beliefs of 33 Irish Catholic diocesan priests and former priests.
It deals with the years 1960 to 2010. The author, Dr John Weafer, an experienced and highly regarded researcher, had personal interviews with each of the 33 priests.
They knew what he was researching and they were willing participants, though they retained their anonymity.
The interviews were limited to three basic areas of their lives.
1. How do Irish diocesan priests understand and experience celibacy in their day to day lives?
2. How do Irish diocesan priests negotiate their priesthood within a large and complex organisation?
3. How do Irish diocesan priests understand their priesthood, and how has this understanding changed over time, if at all?
The study is not easy reading though it is at all times interesting. The sample of 33 is small but the honesty of the participants adds greatly to its significance.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.