More funerals led by lay ministers as priest numbers fall

Lay ministers are increasingly leading funeral services in France as the growing shortage of priests has left fewer available to preside, writes Tom Heneghan.

A survey for the Catholic magazine La Vie showed that 32 per cent of church funeral services are held without a priest, compared to 19 per cent five years ago.

In regions hardest hit by the priest shortage, such as Normandy and Rhone-Alpes, laypeople now lead about 45 per cent of all church funerals. If a prayer service takes place outside church premises, the level of lay leadership goes up to 69 per cent, the survey said. The total number of priests in France has roughly halved over the past 15 years.

The survey showed that demand for religious funerals was still strong in France at 70 per cent, despite the single-figure levels of regular church attendance. But civil burial rites are on the rise, up to 30 per cent from 25 per cent five years ago.

The survey also showed that 36 per cent of the dead are now cremated, up from 28 per cent five years ago.