The Archbishop of Manila warned that nearly one in five Filipino priests are experiencing psychological distress, calling for urgent recognition, support, and renewal within the clergy.
Speaking during the Chrism Mass at the Manila Cathedral on April 2, Cardinal Jose Advincula cited a recent survey showing that “about 18% reported that they are psychologically distressed,” meaning “almost one in every five priests is undergoing a mental difficulty or emotional burden.”
The prelate added that many have reported “episodes of depression, anxiety, loneliness, grief, burnout, and compassion fatigue,” stressing that “this is a concern we cannot ignore anymore, and we have to face it to resolve it.”
The Chrism Mass, where priests renew their vows and bishops bless the holy oils used in the sacraments, provided the setting for the appeal, as the archbishop framed mental health as essential to sustaining priestly life and mission.
He urged priests to begin by acknowledging their struggles. “The first step in resolving a difficulty is to recognize it,” Advincula said, warning that “if we hide in shame or point fingers in blame, we will end up in greater resentment and bitterness.”
He pointed to signs of strain in ministry, including when “our prayer life becomes routine or even absent,” when “our ministry feels heavy rather than life-giving,” or when “our compassion turns into exhaustion.”
Such experiences, he said, do not signal failure: “These are not signs that we are failing. Rather, they are signs that we are human.”
“The danger is not that we grow tired but that we refuse to recognize it,” he said, adding that “what is unrecognized cannot be offered to God, and what is not offered to God cannot be healed.”
Advincula also underscored the importance of priestly fraternity, saying isolation can deepen distress. “To be a priest is to be a priest-with. We are never alone in this vocation and ministry,” he said, while cautioning that “it can be very tempting to isolate ourselves whenever we face difficulties.”
“In the priesthood, isolation can drain us, but communion will sustain us and heal us,” he added.
He then called on priests to renew their sense of identity rooted in their vocation. “We are not defined by what we do, but by who we are,” he said, reminding clergy that “we are not functionaries of an oppressive master; we are sons of a loving God.”
He warned that losing this grounding could lead to burnout or harm. “If we lose sight of who we are, we will end up bitter and burnt out, or even abusive towards others or ourselves,” he said.
Despite the pressures of ministry, Advincula reaffirmed the enduring nature of priestly calling.
“No matter what difficulty you are experiencing, or burden you are carrying, you are still anointed, you are still called, you are still sustained by the same Spirit,” he said.
He appealed to the faithful to support their clergy, asking: “please pray for us, your priests.”
