S-HERTOGENBOSCH, The Netherlands – Growing work pressure, parish mergers and church closings are causing stress for parish priests in the Netherlands, sometimes even leading to clergy feeling overwhelmed.
Spokespeople for several Dutch dioceses acknowledge the problem, according to the Dutch Catholic weekly Katholiek Nieuwsblad, but they deny that there has been an increase in burnout among their priests.
The Netherlands is one of the most secularised countries in Europe, and for years the number of practising Catholics has been in steep decline.
