Fr Brendan Hoban said that if current trends continue, the Diocese of Killala, where he serves, will have just eight priests in 2032, all of whom will be in their 60s or 70s.
Speaking about his new book, Where Do We Go From Here: The Crisis in Irish Catholicism, he called for a return of the old tradition of ordaining "viri probati" - proven married or single men - whom he suggested would provide a support for parishes which otherwise will be left without the Mass.