PRIESTS are more willing to end celibacy than ordaining women as a way of halting the decline in numbers, according to an Ireland-wide study.
According to the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) the number of clerics in active ministry on the island has dropped by 43 per cent since 1995.
There are 2,019 Catholic priests in Ireland compared with 3,550 two decades ago and more than two-thirds are over the age of 55.
The average age is now approaching 65.
It is feared that Irish Catholic priests could disappear by 2036.
According to the Irish Times, the ACP has proposed three strategies to the bishops - ordaining married men "of proven responsibility and virtue", inviting those who have left the ministry to get married to return or extending ordination to the 'permanent deaconate' to women.
A survey of 60 priests across the 26 diocese by a University of Limerick journalism student addressed the possible ways to halt the decline.
Conor Tivnan reported that 42 per cent believed ending celibacy would help, while 37 per cent supported the ordination of women.
The debate over celibacy has been reignited by the revelation that a popular Armagh priest had been using a gay dating website.
Fr Rory Coyle posted photographs of himself on Grindr.
A member of Armagh GAA's management committee and member of the board of governors of St Malachy's Primary School and chaplain of St Catherine's College, Armagh, he withdrew from public life in March, asking for time off to reflect on his future.
Yesterday, former Catholic priest and political commentator Denis Bradley said there is a "need for a redefinition in the theology" around the priesthood.
"Protestants have a point around this," he told the BBC.
"Catholicism overdid the priesthood thing. They put too much store by the priesthood. They invested too much authority and too much influence into priesthood."
Mr Bradley said there is "no drop in vocations", but "he or she, married or single, gay or heterosexual is not allowed to do that within the strict parameters of a rule which came about sometime in the 12th century".
And he added: "I know a lot of my priest friends who are homosexual."
