Vatican official tells priests rest is necessary as clergy mental health program launches in Nigeria
Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, said priests need adequate rest, healthy boundaries and professional help when necessary. He spoke at the launch of a six-week formation program in Nigeria on priestly life
The secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, said priests need to set aside time to rest to care for their physical and mental health. He spoke at the launch of a six-week formation program in Nigeria on priestly life and its challenges.
Nwachukwu said rest should not be treated as a luxury but as an essential need. He spoke about the growing mental health difficulties faced by members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, and said priests, like Jesus, should learn to value rest as part of their ministry. "Rest, therefore, is not a luxury in priestly life; it is necessary for physical and mental health," he said.
He also referred to the recent resignation of German Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, who stepped down after severe psychological strain. Nwachukwu said the case is a reminder that priests and bishops alike are vulnerable to exhaustion, depression and burnout. "We need adequate rest, healthy boundaries, supportive relationships and, when necessary, professional help. Caring for oneself does not mean stepping away from ministry; on the contrary, it helps us to be fit to serve," he said.
A comprehensive formation program
The program's theme is "Fully alive in Christ: caring for oneself, the priest as a living gift." It will cover self-care for priests, spiritual renewal, emotional well-being, burnout, healthy relationships and how to live the mission of the Church with confidence and joy. Participants will look at quality of life, service, joy, aspirations, fears and anxieties that affect priests across their life and ministry. At the end they will receive formation materials and a certificate of participation.
Rest following Jesus' example
Nwachukwu cited Mark 6:31-32, where Jesus invites his disciples to withdraw to a deserted place to rest. He said the passage shows the need for pauses in ministry, particularly after periods of heavy emotional strain, and that the Gospel accounts link Jesus' decision to withdraw both to mourning and to the demands of ministry.
He also spoke about Jesus' call in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Rest cut off from Christ can be harmful, he said, because the rest Jesus offers is not an escape from work but a source of spiritual and physical renewal.
Mental health crisis among young clergy
Nwachukwu spoke of the loss of many young priests in the Diocese of Aba, in southeastern Nigeria, and of the rise in mental health problems among them, which he said raises questions about how the Church should respond. The concern should not be read as a lack of faith, he said, but as an invitation to examine seriously how the Church applies the teaching and example of Jesus to the care of those who carry out ministry.
He said rest for priests should include time away from daily activities, allowing for physical renewal and for stronger relationships with God, with other priests, with family and with the faithful. Physical recovery means attending to basic needs such as food and hydration, he said, while mental and spiritual renewal means directing one's energies toward Christ through prayer and genuine charity.
