Guidelines for priests pastorally responding to suicide

26 Nov, 2024 | Bishops, Church, News

The current issue of Intercom magazine (December 2024/January 2025) offers guidelines to priests to support their pastoral response to suicide.  The guidelines were originally developed by the ‘Working Group for Pastoral Care and Response to Families bereaved by suicide’ in the Archdiocese of Tuam along with The Family Centre Castlebar and Mayo Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service.

The guidelines suggest that different challenges arise at different stages after the death.  These can occur at any time, from the possibility that the priest might have to attend the scene of a suicide, to occasionally having the difficult task of revealling the sad news to those affected by the death; to interfacing with the family and friends of the deceased; and, to managing the Liturgy for the Funeral Mass.  These guidelines are intended to assist priests at such difficult times and were developed following wide consultation.

For detail on the guidelines, please click Guidelines for Priests on Pastoral Response to Suicide.  An accompanying shorter ‘pocket leaflet’ is available to supplement this longer document.

ENDS

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