Biritual priests, a pragmatic response to the shortage of clergy: "I switched to the Byzantine rite two years ago"

Mgr Antoine Forget, a priest in the diocese of Ajaccio, navigates the winding roads of Corsica to celebrate two masses in one morning, one in French and the other in Ancient Greek. He is among the few priests in France authorized to perform in multiple rites, known as 'biritual.' This practice supports minority communities and helps adapt the Catholic Church amid declining attendance. The exact number of biritual priests in France is unclear, but estimates suggest there are several dozen. Mgr Elie Warde, a Catholic bishop, emphasizes the importance of birituality in fostering connections among believers.