MALTA
Times of Malta
Sunday, October 5, 2014
by Kim Dalli
Priests taking the decision to leave priesthood are faced with long and complex processes that are further exacerbated by the Church’s reluctance to let its members go, according to a Gozitan priest.
Fr Anthony Zammit has been a priest of the Conventual Franciscan order for 27 years and says that for a number of years he has tried different avenues to leave the order, to no avail.
“The Vatican and religious institutions can give a person who wishes to leave priesthood a hard time,” the 58-year-old told this newspaper.
He says he first wrote to his superior of his wish to leave the priesthood for a number of reasons several years ago.
However, the answers he received seemed to lead nowhere.
“I’ve since been to Rome four times – the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have a thick report of me there, detailing my request to leave.
“A friend of mine once told me the Church authorities keep stalling as much as possible so that you grow old and it becomes even more difficult to leave. As you advance in age, it becomes harder to find a job and earn a living.”
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