“Suicide among [gay?] priests” is the type of news that should be a major cause for concern for anyone, “priests and non-priests, Catholics and non-Catholics—anyone with humane instincts, empathic concerns, and an interest in the future of faith communities”
Recent figures in various countries around the world unravel an unnerving trend of clerical suicides, raising eyebrows among both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. For instance, a whopping 40 priests in Brazil, the country with the largest Catholic population in the world, committed suicide between 2016 and 2023, almost four times the expected figure according to the general suicide rate of the population. Similarly, (erstwhile Catholic) Ireland has witnessed at least eight priest suicides over the past 10 years. “Suicide among priests” is the type of news that should be a major cause for concern for anyone, “priests and non-priests, Catholics and non-Catholics—anyone with humane instincts, empathic concerns, and an interest in the future of faith communities” On May 14 this year, Fr. Leo Puthoor, a priest of the archdiocese of Trichur in Kerala, India, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room in the presbytery, as per an article by Matters India. Only around two months …